One-third of Vietnam’s clothing factories reportedly closed due to Covid

Around a third of Vietnam’s textile and garment factories have reportedly halted operations following a surge in cases of Covid-19 in the Southeast Asian country.

About 30 to 35 percent of textile and garment factories in Vietnam are currently closed, the Business of Fashion reports, citing figures from the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS).

The country plays a key role in the world’s fashion industry. According to the World Trade Statistical Review 2021 published in July by the World Trade Organization (WTO), Vietnam has overtaken Bangladesh as the world’s second-largest exporter of ready-made garments, behind only China.

Vietnam’s clothing exports grew 6.4 percent in 2020 with a market value of 29 billion dollars.

But the country has been hit hard in the past two months by the pandemic, prior to which it was largely successful in keeping infection numbers low. New cases are now trending at around 7,000 and 8,000 each day.

Vaccination rates among textile workers in the country are still very low, according to VITAS.