Mizuno and Asics change focus from China to Vietnam
Japanese sporting goods brands Mizuno and Asics, which both currently produce 80-90% of their sports footwear in China, are to increase operations in Vietnam.
Mizuno is to launch full-scale production at its partner factory in Ho Chi Minh City, from which it hopes to produce approximately one million pairs of footwear for the year ended March 31, 2008. It also hopes to start production at another partner factory next year.
The company hopes to double shoe sales to 15 million pairs by 2010, and it expects output from Vietnam to account for approximately 30% of this quota. Its Chinese shoe production will account for the remaining 70%.
Asics aims to produce around 30% of its shoes in the country, with China accounting for 50% and other Asian countries the base for the remaining 20% by 2010. The company already has two partner factories in Vietnam and is to manufacture around six million of its 33 million shoes in the country during the fiscal 2007 period.
The two brands’ move away from China has been attributed to higher costs related to the 2008 Olympics, which will take place in Beijing.
