Nike has been thought of as the leader in global sports apparel for decades. The massive brand now supplies the official jerseys for the NBA, NFL, and MLB, and its popularity among athletes is unparalleled.
Unfortunately for Nike, United States President Donald Trump announced his tariff plan on Wednesday, and it is having massive negative implications for the brand. Taiwan is receiving a 32% tariff.
This is massive news for Nike, as they have over 450,000 employees in Taiwan, per Wall Street editor at the Economist Mike Bird, who tweeted a shocking graph of Nike’s performance in the stock market after hours.
Nike stock right now – the company has >450,000 employees across 130 factories in Vietnam (46% tariff rate) pic.twitter.com/9irIE3j5cW
— Mike Bird (@Birdyword) April 2, 2025
People reacted to the devastating news on social media.
“Low human rights and environmental protections aren’t always profitable. Sorry Mike, shouldn’t have sold us out and moved production overseas,” one person wrote on Twitter.
“So now youre okay with child and slave labor because the stock price dropped and youre upset that it dropped? But when its high and youre happy, you turn a blind eye while being vocal about indentured servitude… Let nike close,” another person added.
“But soon Americans will benefit by having these factories brought to the US where hardworking Americans can work in their sweatshops,” someone else added.
It’ll be interesting to see if Nike can get things back on track for its stockholders.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.