In May, a long-simmering territorial dispute between China and Vietnam turned particularly hot. With Chinese and Vietnamese ships confronting one another in the South China Sea (known in Vietnam as the Eastern Sea), Vietnamese protesters furious with China went on a rampage at home. They attacked companies with Chinese workers or Chinese names, including businesses that were owned not by mainlanders but by companies from Taiwan or other places in Asia.

Despite worries that the anti-Chinese violence would hurt Vietnam’s ability to attract investment dollars from overseas, the unrest hasn’t dissuaded a major Hong Kong-based manufacturer from making Vietnam its top focus for growth. TAL Group is one of the world’s biggest producers of menswear, selling shirts to brands such as Brooks Brothers, L.L.Bean, Eddie Bauer, and Burberry (BRBY:LN). One out of every six dress shirts sold in the U.S. comes from a TAL Group factory, the company says. Today, Vietnam accounts for only 12 percent to 15 percent of its production, but in two years that percentage should grow to 25 percent, according to TAL Chief Executive Officer Roger Lee.
The company’s commitment to Vietnam isn’t limited just to making garments. TAL is also investing in a new business to make textiles in the country. “We believe in Vietnam,” Lee says.
via Made in Vietnam Looks Better and Better for Chinese Shirt Maker – Businessweek.

