ASICS COVID-19 response to supplier factories and workers

COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact to business and supply chain of the world and it has been challenging to both ASICS and supplier factories. We are working with suppliers to support their effort to deal with the unprecedented situation and to ensure health and safety of the factory workers.

We endorse International Labor Organization (ILO)’s COVID-19: Action in the Global Garment Industry, which aims to support manufacturers to survive the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and to protect workers’ income, health and employment. We are engaged with the ILO and International Finance Corporation (IFC) joint program, “Better Work”.

1. Support to protect the factory workers

• We provide the guidelines from “Better Work” for supplier factories to understand the health and safety measures and payment requirements to workers and provide information on local government support available.

• In order to protect factory workers from the risk of infection, we request to the supplier factories to provide safety and health measures such as promoting hand washing facilities, wearing masks, at each factory.

• We request the supplier factories to pay wages appropriately in accordance with the local laws and directives in case that the factory is temporarily closed.

• Workers can directly contact ASICS for the violations of their right and safety in the countries and factories where we have grievance system in place.

2. Support for the financial stability of the suppliers

• We will put maximum effort to continue placing orders the market circumstances would allow.

• We will continue to make a full payment for the finished products.

• For the products that faced cancellation before they were completed, we will make appropriate payment or explore reuse options to enable the suppliers to recover costs.

• We maintain open and close communication with supplier factories about the future planning.

• We will engage in sincere dialogue with the suppliers to look for solutions that address financial challenges caused by changes in orders.

ASICS will continue to monitor the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our supply chain and will continue to take necessary measures in cooperation with relevant authorities and industry organizations to minimize the negative impact.