Introduction: Industrial Restructuring at a Crossroads
The global apparel and footwear industry is undergoing profound structural restructuring driven by shifting consumer demands, rapid technological innovation, and tightening international trade compliance standards. According to McKinsey’s Global Fashion Industry Report and the latest financial reports of leading international fashion brands, the sector will be defined by five core trends in 2026: K-shaped market differentiation, China+N supply chain restructuring, vertical AI industrial adoption, mainstream outdoor lifestyle transformation, and flexible manufacturing for retro and avant-garde footwear designs.
The traditional development model reliant on cheap labor, extensive OEM processing, and mass standardized production is gradually becoming obsolete. Compliance, intelligence, flexibility, and high added value have become the new benchmarks for industrial upgrading across the Asia-Pacific footwear and textile sector.
As a core manufacturing hub of the global footwear and apparel supply chain, Vietnam stands at a critical transformation crossroad. Official data from Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade shows that the country’s textile and footwear export volume continues to climb, maintaining its leading position in global trade. Nevertheless, the industry faces unprecedented reshaping pressures brought by the official implementation of Decree 293 in 2026, which raises regional minimum wages by approximately 7.2%, widespread labor shortages, and escalating green trade barriers and supply chain due diligence regulations in European and American markets. Vietnam’s long-standing low-cost manufacturing advantage is fading rapidly, forcing local manufacturers and overseas investors to abandon extensive operational mindsets and embrace long-term, compliant, and intelligent development strategies to sustain competitiveness amid fierce global competition.
As a pivotal barometer for Asia-Pacific industrial transformation, the 24th Vietnam International Textile & Garment Industry Exhibition (VTG 2026) and Vietnam International Footwear Machinery & Material Industry Exhibition (VFM 2026) will take place from October 14 to 17, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City. The exhibition opens daily from 9:00 to 17:00, with an early closing time of 15:00 on the final day. Visitors under 16 years old are not admitted. Professional attendees can complete pre-registration via official channels to obtain exclusive QR codes for admission. With nearly two decades of deep cultivation in Southeast Asia’s industrial market, the two UFI-certified flagship exhibitions integrate the five major industrial trends into specialized exhibition zones, high-end summit forums, and precise buyer matchmaking systems, delivering practical policy interpretation, compliance solutions, and upgrade pathways for global footwear and textile enterprises.
VTG Exhibition: Empowering Textile Intelligent Upgrading
VTG is a leading UFI-certified full-chain textile and apparel exhibition in Southeast Asia, focusing on Textile 4.0 to 5.0 intelligent hardware and software solutions tailored for small-batch, fast-response, and flexible production demands. Its exhibition scope covers high-speed intelligent knitting equipment, digital spinning and weaving machinery, non-woven fabric production lines, 3D body scanning and intelligent garment-making systems, and factory intelligent ERP management solutions.
Effectively addressing Southeast Asia’s core industrial pain points including labor shortages, rising production costs, and low operational efficiency, VTG provides global brand buyers and local manufacturers with systematic digital and intelligent transformation solutions, perfectly fitting the lightweight, personalized, and fast iterative product trends of the 2026 apparel industry.
Official pre-registration: https://www.chanchao.com.tw/en/entryApply.asp?id=FTXTHCM2026
VFM Exhibition: Driving Green and Low-Carbon Footwear Manufacturing
As the most influential professional footwear machinery and material exhibition in Southeast Asia, VFM covers over 70% of local Vietnamese footwear factories and maintains in-depth cooperation with global manufacturing systems of Nike, Adidas, and other top footwear brands. Centering on green, low-carbon, and intelligent manufacturing, VFM exhibits supercritical physical foaming equipment, AI visual precision cutting systems, fully automatic shoe assembly lines, ultra-light eco-friendly outsoles, and water-based non-toxic adhesives.
The on-site live demonstration of full-process intelligent and green production enables multinational and local footwear enterprises to achieve cost reduction, efficiency improvement, and environmental compliance. It precisely meets the 2026 market demand for minimalist barefoot shoes and global carbon footprint regulations, accelerating Vietnam’s footwear industry green upgrading.
Official pre-registration: https://www.chanchao.com.tw/en/entryApply.asp?id=FVNFLM2026
Five Core Industrial Trends Reshaping Vietnam’s Supply Chain
K-shaped Market Differentiation & Policy-driven Capacity Upgrade.
In 2026, the global footwear and apparel market presents solid K-shaped segmentation. High-end outdoor and technical sports brands represented by Arc’teryx, Salomon, and Anta maintain robust growth driven by functional innovation and brand premium. In contrast, mass casual and entry-level luxury markets face stagnant growth and severe homogenized competition due to cautious consumer spending and popular budget alternatives. A large number of Vietnamese small and medium-sized factories relying on low-margin CMT processing have been phased out. VITAS officially confirms that Vietnam is no longer competitive in ultra-low-cost orders compared with Bangladesh. The Decree 293 wage hike policy further eliminates low-value manufacturing capacity, forcing the industry to shift toward high-quality, high-profit, and intelligent production models.
China+N Supply Chain Restructuring and Strict Origin Compliance.
To mitigate geopolitical risks and tariff barriers, international fashion groups are accelerating global capacity diversification through the China+N strategy. Vietnam, benefiting from intensive free trade agreements including EVFTA, CPTPP, and RCEP, has become a core offshore manufacturing base. However, updated EUFTA “Yarn Forward” rules strictly prohibit tariff preferences for simple label-switching and semi-finished assembly. Enterprises must deploy complete weaving, dyeing, and finishing production chains locally to obtain valid certificate of origin, making substantive industrial localization and compliance management core competitive advantages.
Vertical AI Application Solving Labor Shortage Dilemmas.
Facing declining demographic dividends and persistent labor shortages, Vietnam’s textile and footwear industry is embracing AI-driven digital transformation as a mandatory upgrade. Vertical AI design systems can generate photorealistic product renders within seconds and connect directly with intelligent cutting and sampling equipment, drastically shortening R&D cycles and costs. Under Vietnam’s National Digital Transformation Program 2030, enterprises adopting AI fabric inspection, intelligent production scheduling, and automated quality inspection enjoy substantial corporate tax incentives. Meanwhile, AI-powered full-cycle data tracking enables standardized carbon footprint accounting and supply chain traceability, helping enterprises comply with EU and US supply chain due diligence laws.
Outdoor Lifestyle Popularization Fueling Functional Fiber Upgrading.
Professional outdoor apparel has evolved from extreme outdoor scenarios into daily urban wear, with over 70% of young consumers favoring fashionable and functional outdoor garments. Vietnam’s tropical rainy climate and motorcycle-based transportation culture create strong market demand for waterproof, UV-resistant, and lightweight functional apparel. Vietnam’s government actively guides manufacturers to transform from pure cotton production to high-performance MMF chemical fibers and functional coating materials, offering four-year full tax exemption plus nine-year partial tax reduction for functional fabric investment projects, promoting high-value outdoor apparel manufacturing.
Retro & Avant-garde Design Boosting Flexible Intelligent Manufacturing.
Global footwear aesthetics have shifted from minimalism to experimental and retro styles, including ballet-inspired sneakers, vintage training shoes, and exaggerated avant-garde silhouettes. These complex customized designs require high-precision molds, sophisticated stitching, and advanced vulcanization technology. Relying on decades of industrial accumulation from Taiwanese and Korean manufacturing transfer, Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh, Binh Duong, and Dong Nai provinces form a world-class high-precision footwear cluster. Supported by Vietnam’s EPE processing trade tax exemption policy for imported prototype materials and accessories, local factories deliver efficient small-batch and fast-cycle customized production, occupying the global niche trendy footwear market.
Exhibition Strategic Layout
Aligning with industrial trends and transformation demands, VTG & VFM 2026 set up three professional themed zones covering green functional materials, AI intelligent machinery, and high-precision shoe molds and craftsmanship. Three authoritative summit forums will focus on cost breakthroughs under Decree 293, origin rule penetration under EVFTA & RCEP, and green carbon compliance. The exhibition specifically invites Nike, Adidas, Target overseas procurement offices and global DTC cross-border buyers, building a high-end matchmaking platform for compliant intelligent manufacturing and flexible fast-reaction supply chains. Serving as a strategic think tank and resource docking hub for Asia-Pacific industrial upgrading,
VTG & VFM 2026 empowers global enterprises to break through industry headwinds and seize new round of industrial dividends.
