Adidas, Nike & Uniqlo want to produce shoes and apparel here – Russian trade ministry

Global clothing manufacturers Nike, Adidas and Uniqlo are expressing strong interest in locating their production lines in Russia, according to Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Viktor Yevtukhov.

“As far as I know, sportswear brands like Nike and Adidas, as well as the Japanese brand Uniqlo, want to locate their production in Russia,” the official told journalists, on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

According to the deputy trade minister, the current price-quality ratio of textile products in Russia is optimal, with the country’s geographical position and developed infrastructure making it beneficial from a logistical point of view.

The official gave a reminder that Spanish multinational clothing company Inditex, which owns such brands as Zara, Pull&Bear, Bershka, Massimo Dutti, Stradivarius, Oysho and Uterque, has been producing some of its textiles and clothing in Russia since 2017.

“Goods branded ‘Made in Russia’ are being sold only abroad, increasing Russia’s prospects for non-resource exports,” Yevtukhov pointed out.

The minister added that manufacturing of footwear products is highly developed in Russia and that many companies running their footwear retail chains in Russia may benefit from localizing production capacities in the country.

Earlier this year, German automaker Daimler launched a Mercedes-Benz factory in the Moscow region. The plant, assembling premium-class Mercedes-Benz passenger cars for the domestic market, created over a thousand jobs for the local population. The German company also runs an assembly line for Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Classic minibuses at the Nizhny Novgorod facilities of Russian auto maker GAZ Group.

French food retailer Auchan opened its first meat production plant outside the southern Russian city of Tambov in 2017. The plant ultimately created over 1,000 jobs and supply locally-produced meat to Russians.

In 2016, the Swedish furniture manufacturer IKEA launched its biggest Russia-based furniture factory. The enterprise, located near the northwestern city of Veliky Novgorod, produces goods not only for the domestic market and the CIS-countries, but also exports to Italy, Slovakia, Poland, Israel, China, Canada and other countries.

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