Help Vietnam develop world class products, Uniqlo urged
Japan’s Fast Retailing, famous for top casual wear fashion brand Uniqlo, should help Vietnam improve manufacturing capacity and develop world-standard products, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang said Monday.
Meeting with the company’s leaders during her June 21-23 visit to Japan, she specifically urged Fast Retailing to help Vietnam’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) achieve the above-mentioned aims.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang (front, fourth right) at a working session with Fast Retailing executives in Japan. Photo courtesy of the ministry.
She also affirmed that her ministry would cooperate with Uniqlo in pushing further progress of Vietnam’s fashion industry.
Noriaki Koyama, Fast Retailing’s chief advisor to CEO, responded that the firm has been helping the workforce in Vietnam since its 2019 arrival in the country with several measures including establishing a scholarship program for research & development and providing workforce training.
According to Fast Retailing’s report for the second quarter of fiscal year 2024 (ending February 2024), the firm opened three new Uniqlo stores in Vietnam between September 2023 and February 2024, raising the total number of Uniqlo outlets in Vietnam to 22.
In the group of South Asian, Southeast Asian and Oceania countries, Vietnam comes second-last behind India, which has 13 outlets.
According to customs data, apparel-textiles was Vietnam's fourth-biggest export earner in January-May at $13.12 billion, up 6.7% year-on-year, behind: computers, electronics and spare parts; phones and spare parts; and machines and equipment.
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