Cambodia makes 11.76 bln USD from garment exports in first 8 months, up 7.2 pct

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's export of garment, textile, footwear, and travel products reached 11.76 billion U.S. dollars in the first eight months of 2026, marking a 7.2 percent increase from 10.97 billion dollars during the same period last year, said an official report on Saturday.

An aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 11, 2024 shows a view of the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port (PAS) in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. (Photo by Nitola/Xinhua)

According to the Ministry of Commerce's report, apparel and textile exports reached 8.78 billion dollars during the January-August period this year, up 7.3 percent compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, footwear grew 7.5 percent to 1.5 billion dollars, and travel goods rose 6.5 percent to 1.48 billion dollars.

The sector remains Cambodia's primary economic engine and largest foreign exchange earner, accounting for 48 percent of total export value, the report showed.

Thong Mengdavid, deputy director at the China-ASEAN Studies Center of the Cambodia University of Technology and Science, attributed the steady momentum to successful market diversification.

"The growth signifies Cambodia's resilience despite the global economic slowdown," Mengdavid told Xinhua.

However, he cautioned that maintaining long-term momentum will require adaptation.

"Cambodia must accelerate factory greening to meet strict international environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, move up the value chain toward higher-value products, and further streamline logistics through digital trade processes," he said.

According to the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, the vital manufacturing sector currently comprises more than 1,800 factories and branches, providing employment to approximately 1.1 million workers, who are predominantly women.