(FRANCE24) – From shoes and sweaters to car parts and coffee, Vietnam’s strict and lengthy coronavirus lockdown has sparked product shortages among worldwide brands such as Nike and Gap which have grown increasingly dependent on the Southeast Asian nation’s manufacturers.
The snarl-ups at Vietnam’s factories are part of a broader crisis around the planet that is sending inflation surging and raising concerns about the pace of recovery in the global economy.
At a fabric mill east of Hanoi, Claudia Anselmi – the Italian director of Hung Yen Knitting & Dyeing, a key cog in the supply chain of several European and U.S. clothing giants – worries daily if the factory can keep the lights on.