YKK headquarter moves to Vietnam, production increases by 100 times!

YKK Vietnam is part of the Japanese YKK Group, specializing in producing high-quality zippers for the textile, footwear, and handbag industries.

YKK has been operating in Vietnam since 1998, with its first factory located in Amata Industrial Park (Dong Nai). In 2018, YKK established a second factory to enhance its ability to serve fashion industry partners.

Mr. Yuji Furukawa, General Manager of YKK Vietnam, recently shared during a visit to YKK factories with representatives from the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association: "Vietnam's accession to the World Trade Organization has attracted investments from many global companies, turning Vietnam into a fashion product processing center. That's why our business has expanded its capacity. After 25 years, YKK's zipper production in Vietnam has increased 100 times, and the number of employees has increased sevenfold."

Vietnam is currently an important part of the global supply chain for fashion brands such as Nike, Adidas, and Decathlon. YKK Vietnam directly supplies products to manufacturing factories of these brands. Increased investment in Vietnam means that YKK is contributing to integrating Vietnam into the global apparel and accessories supply chain.

In 2023, YKK transferred its global operations to countries outside Japan and chose Vietnam. YKK leadership stated that having the global business division headquartered in Vietnam provides a view of the entire world. Vietnam's textile and apparel exports reached $44 billion by 2022, and by the end of 2023, it reached $40 billion, making it the world's third largest textile and apparel exporter (after China and Bangladesh). This has had a positive impact on supply chain companies like YKK, leading to the relocation of its global sales department headquarter from Japan to Vietnam. Most of Uniqlo's products use YKK zippers, while Nike and Adidas brands use around 70-80%.

Mr. Yuji Furukawa added that previously, YKK Vietnam had to import some zipper products from foreign YKK companies to supply domestic customers, but now, the Vietnam factory produces most of YKK's products. In addition to "on-site exports," products are also exported to countries like Cambodia and Myanmar.