Tamron Opens Second Vietnamese Factory to Avoid Chinese Tariffs
Tamron Co., Ltd. announced it has begun manufacturing operations at its second factory in Vietnam, thereby strengthening its global “tripolar production system” approach and preparing for future business expansion.
Tamron’s second Vietnam production facility is in the Vĩnh Phúc province in northern Vietnam and cost Tamron approximately four billion yen to build, which is about $26.5 million at current exchange rates. The plant, which began operations at Thang Long Industrial Park 3 last month, is approximately 17,000 square meters (nearly 183,000 square feet) and will support 1,500 people when it reaches its full operational capacity in 2028.
The three-story factory will manufacture lenses, including photographic lenses and optics for surveillance systems and motor vehicles, like the cameras required for modern safety features.
Tamron’s Japanese press release says Tamron invested in the new facility to expand its production capacity, make its supply production capabilities more stable, and improve its response to ever-changing geopolitical situations, including tariffs levied by countries like the United States against goods manufactured in China.
While the new factory is open, Tamron says it will not reach mass production capabilities until next year, and full operations will take another two years to kick into gear. However, the factory can manufacture lenses, including metal processing, molding, painting, and assembly, under one roof.
Tamron says its production capacity will increase by approximately 1.2 times compared to 2024 thanks in part to this new factory, and the company will embrace a “global tripolar production system.” The company’s Japanese factory in Aomori will be its “mother factory,” where Tamron establishes its production technology. The company’s Chinese factory handles products for the Chinese domestic market, and its two Vietnam factories produce products for the global market, including North America and Europe, two key international markets for Tamron’s lenses and other optical products.
“In addition to geopolitical risks, tariff risks against China have been increasing in recent years, but in anticipation of the emergence of such risks, we have been proceeding with the construction of this factory since 2023,” Tamron explains in a machine-translated statement. “In a rapidly changing society, we will continue to improve and strengthen our production system so that we can continue to deliver optical products to customers around the world.”
Image credits: Tamron
