Pakistan is enjoying a boom in textile and apparel exports, boosted by the sharp depreciation of the Pakistani rupee against the US dollar which has made the country’s exports even more attractive to foreign buyers. In stark contrast, Vietnam is suffering from major supply chain problems which threaten to challenge the country’s status as the world’s second largest apparel exporter.
In this editorial, Robin Anson examines the factors behind the country’s problems including the migration of tens of thousands of workers who have fled Ho Chi Minh City and the adjoining provinces following the outbreak of COVID-19. The exodus could prevent factories from returning to full capacity following the easing of restrictions imposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and could undermine years of investments by global businesses which moved to Vietnam in search of locations that are cheaper than China. The losses in the workforce have prompted fears that buyers could turn to China for their supplies with the result that the Vietnamese garment industry could lose significant market share. Worse still, there are concerns that the stability of 2019 may not return to Vietnam for another three to five years.
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PAKISTAN: A BOOM IN INTERNATIONAL MARKETS?VIETNAM’S NUMBER TWO STATUS UNDER THREAT
