May 2019

Of late Japan has become one of the largest foreign investors in Vietnam’s apparel and textile sector after South Korea. Several Japanese companies, including Sakai Amiori, had put up an apparel production unit in Phu Ha Industrial Zone, and soon made a mark in the country not only for substantially investing in manufacturing but also for training labour in textiles. Similarly, Matsuoka Corporation, one of the largest apparel manufacturers in Japan too has expanded its production capacity by six- to seven-folds and annually earns an impressive US $ 530 million. Last year, the company also invested US $ 16 million in setting up an apparel plant, which has today opened job opportunities for over 2,500 workers.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has been regularly executing its much anticipated Vietnam Improvement Programme (VIP) in its efforts to help Vietnam enhance sustainable growth of the apparel sector. IFC, with over 60 years of experience, empowers all the garment and textile units in the country to upgrade their machinery and equipment so as to make them save more energy and become more sustainable. IFC has also been proactive in giving the companies financial avenue through its client banks.