Brussels, 16 December 2022
FESI meets with high-level representatives from Indonesia and Vietnam on the sidelines of the EU-ASEAN Summit to discuss bilateral economic cooperation
Senior officials from various ASEAN Member States gathered in Brussels this week as part of the EU-ASEAN Business Summit, the annual leaders’ meeting of EU and ASEAN countries. Representatives from the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI) also attended the Summit and exchanged views on the industry’s economic priorities with the delegation from the Republic of Indonesia, led by Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs H.E Airlangga Hartarto, and from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, led by Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyễn Hồng Diên.
“As the global manufacturing hub and a dynamic market for sporting goods, ASEAN and its growing partnership with the European Union is of critical importance for the European sporting goods industry,” declared Manuel Pauser, FESI Vice-President and Vice President Global Government Affairs at adidas, “I am very pleased to have had the opportunity to attend the 45th anniversary of EU-ASEAN Business Summit and to have met with key partners for the sporting goods industry in Asia. This long-term cooperation is a powerful driver in moving forward together to address common challenges related to the environment, workers’ protection, and free and sustainable trade”, he added.
Joined by trade experts from FESI members, the delegation led by FESI VP Manuel Pauser first had the opportunity to discuss with the Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs about the importance of the free trade negotiations between Indonesia and the European Union (EU). For the past six years, the EU has been negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with Indonesia with the objective to facilitate and create new market access, increase trade between the EU and Indonesia as well as to expand direct investment. With more than 5.2 million textile workers working in roughly 2.500 factories around the country, Indonesia is undoubtedly one of the most important manufacturing hubs for many sporting goods companies and could become a true crucial partner once the agreement will be in place.
During their meeting with the Vietnamese delegation, FESI welcomed the recent free trade agreement (FTA) adopted between the EU and Vietnam in 2020, and which FESI has been strongly advocating for along the years. While the COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented supply chain disruptions around the globe, the EU-Vietnam FTA helped mitigate the decrease of trade flows between both countries.
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About FESI: The Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI) is the pre-competitive platform representing the interests of the sporting goods industry in Europe, advancing its members’ priorities and promoting initiatives that benefit the sector, EU citizens and the society as a whole. FESI is the sole stakeholder that provides sporting goods companies with the possibility to leverage their expertise into one steady and coherent voice.
Contact: Ariane Gatti, FESI Communication Manager / [email protected] / +32 (0)2 762 86 48
