Taiwan footwear firm aims to invest $100 mln in central Vietnam

Taiwan-based footwear firm Dah Lih Puh (DLP Group) plans to build a $100-million factory in Vietnam’s central province of Ha Tinh.

A delegation of the firm, led by chairman Jui Fen Hsiao, made the proposal at a meeting with Ha Tinh Chairman Vo Trong Hai on Wednesday. The firm aims to invest in a 30-hectare factory in Lac Thien Industrial Cluster of the central province.

The investment plan in Ha Tinh is derived from higher market demand and the shortage of laborers in some areas, the firm said. It has so far invested in 10 plants in Vietnam.

The factory in Lac Thien Industrial Cluster can employ 4,500-5,000 people. Once operational, DLP Group plans to open one more production line in Ha Tinh.

The Taiwanese business proposed provincial authorities help it with site clearance and administrative procedures to receive preferential tax treatments.

In reply, Hai asked the provincial Department of Industry and Trade and the Department of Planning and Investment to facilitate the business. He highlighted abundant workforce, favorable geographical locations, and availability of industrial land as major advantages of Ha Tinh.

Lac Thien Industrial Cluster is planned to expand to 60 hectares in 2030. The facility is one of 45 industrial clusters in Ha Tinh, with a total area of 1,892 hectares under a master plan until 2030, he added.

Vietnam saw external trade up 16.7% year-on-year to $511.11 billion in the first eight months of this year, according to the General Statistics Office. Of the total, exports rose 15.8% to $265.09 billion, while imports outpaced at 17.7%, reaching $246.02 billion. Footwear was the fifth-biggest export earner with $14.94 billion, up 11.8%.

DLP Group is well-known for its Vietnamese subsidiary Viet Glory Co. Ltd. In October 2023, the firm recorded a labor strike. A week after, all 7,000 employees resumed their work.