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Nike’s Vietnam Manufacturing Shift Puts It in Trump’s Tariff Crosshairs

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Nike’s Vietnam Manufacturing Shift Puts It in Trump’s Tariff Crosshairs

For the past two decades, Nike has worked to gradually diversify its manufacturing beyond China, with Vietnam emerging as the company’s most important market for production. On Wednesday afternoon, President Donald Trump announced reciprocal tariffs that will impact Vietnamese-made goods more than those from almost any other country.

The impact of those import tariffs will be far-reaching across the global economy—shortly after the announcement an S&P 500 ETF fell 2%. They will particularly impact the companies that import the bulk of their goods from the countries with the highest rates. On Trump’s list, Vietnam had the fourth highest rate at 46%, trailing only Cambodia (49%), Laos (48%) and Madagascar (47%).

In fiscal 2024, factories in Vietnam manufactured 50% of all Nike Brand footwear, by far its largest market. Factories in Vietnam also manufactured 28% of all Nike Brand apparel, also its largest market.

The second most important manufacturing market for Nike is likely China. The country accounts for 16% of Nike apparel manufacturing, second only to Vietnam, and 18% of footwear, third behind Vietnam and Indonesia. Trump’s new tariffs include a 34% rate on China-made goods, but White House officials told CNBC that the those tariffs would come on top of the 20% already imposed on Chinese imports. That implies a true tariffs rate of 54%. 

Nike stock (NYSE: NKE) fell 7% in after-market trading.

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Representatives for Nike didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Tariffs only came up once on the company’s latest earnings call on March 20, with CFO Matthew Friend mentioning specifically that the company’s latest guidance included newly implemented tariffs on imports from Mexico and China. Those tariffs are separate from the ones announced this week.

Throughout the 1990s Nike was frequently criticized for the labor conditions of its overseas factories, particularly those in China. Since then, the company has worked to diversify its supply chain. It’s not alone—U.S. companies of all sorts have spread out their manufacturing in that span, some searching for lower prices, others looking to insulate themselves from potential volatility and geopolitical relations between the U.S. and Chinese governments.

Vietnam quickly emerged as Nike’s most important market for manufacturing. In 2001, for example, Vietnam accounted for just 13% of the company’s footwear goods and was not included in a list of 12 countries that accounted for most of Nike’s apparel manufacturing, according to SEC filings. A decade later, in 2011, Vietnamese factories were making 39% of Nike’s footwear, its biggest market, and appeared to be third for apparel. It became the company’s most important country for apparel manufacturing for the first time in 2020  and has remained at the top in both categories ever since.

The Nike filings only list where the goods are made, and not where they are sold. That’s likely more relevant in China—many companies are more intentional about selling China-manufactured goods in China—than it is in Vietnam, which has a population that is about 1/14th of its northern neighbor.

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Indonesian factories accounted for 27% of Nike footwear in 2024, according to the filing, which put it in front of China and behind Vietnam. Trump’s announcement included a 32% tariff on Indonesian goods. The third most important country for manufacturing Nike clothing was Cambodia, at 15% of the company’s apparel. The Cambodian tariff rate of 49% was the highest of any rate announced Wednesday.

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3 US service members killed, 5 seriously wounded in Iran operation

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3 US service members killed, 5 seriously wounded in Iran operation

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Three U.S. service members were killed and five others were seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Sunday morning.

In addition, several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions and are in the process of being returned to duty, CENTCOM announced.

“The situation is fluid, so out of respect for the families, we will withhold additional information, including the identities of our fallen warriors, until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified,” CENTCOM said.

Smoke rises over the city center after an Israeli army launches 2nd wave of airstrikes on Iran on Saturday.  (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. 

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At least nine killed after Iranian strike on Israel’s Beit Shemesh

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At least nine killed after Iranian strike on Israel’s Beit Shemesh

BREAKING,

The Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency service says that 20 others were injured by the impact.

At least nine people have been killed after an Iranian missile strike on the central Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, as Tehran continued to launch retaliatory attacks a day after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes.

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The Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency service said on Sunday that nine people were killed and 20 other people were injured by the impact, including two in serious condition.

The Israeli military said in a statement that search and rescue teams, and a helicopter to evacuate those injured are currently operating in Beit Shemesh, with the army’s spokesperson adding that the circumstances of the impact from the Iranian ballistic missile are under review.

More to come …

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Sombr Altercation at Brit Awards Was Staged, Rep Confirms

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Sombr Altercation at Brit Awards Was Staged, Rep Confirms

Sombr was mid-performance at the Brit Awards when a random man bumrushed the stage and pushed the singer off the platform, leaving him stunned — only it was all planned, says his rep.

The singer-songwriter, who was nominated for international artist and international song, was at the end of his smash single “Undressed” when a man joined him on the podium and shoved him hard. Security guards aggressively removed the man from the stage, and Sombr returned to the microphone to segue into his next song.

Shortly after the performance came to a close, Sombr’s rep confirmed to Variety that the whole thing was part of the act. Fans were already split online over whether the incident was staged or real. Naysayers noticed that the offender was wearing a shirt that read “Sombr is a homewrecker” — a nod to his latest single “Homewrecker,” which some claimed was a dead giveaway. But others weren’t necessarily convinced it was a stunt, considering how hard he was pushed and how additional security guards came to his rescue.

Brits host Jack Whitehall remarked on the incident after Sombr’s performance concluded. “Such a shame we didn’t have the security ready,” he said.

The incident took place just days after Britain’s BAFTA Awards last Sunday, when John Davidson, the Scottish Tourette’s syndrome activist and real-life inspiration for the film “I Swear,” disrupted that ceremony with an outburst of racial slurs that occurred as “Sinners” stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were onstage. “I can’t begin to explain how upset and distraught I have been as the impact from Sunday sinks in,” Davidson told Variety earlier this week.

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Whitehall made a joking reference to that incident — which was not bleeped from the initial BAFTA broadcast and was audible to viewers — at the top of the Brits, saying “We’ve got the best in the business on the bleep button.”

Sombr is coming off a red-hot year that saw his various singles “Undressed,” “Back to Friends” and “12 to 12” impact the charts. He recently performed at the Grammy Awards, where he was nominated for best new artist alongside Addison Rae, Alex Warren, the Marías, Leon Thomas, Lola Young, Katseye and Olivia Dean, who ended up taking home the award.

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