PHNOM PENH, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia exported 9,217 million U.S. dollars worth of garments, footwear and travel goods in the first eight months of 2024, up 22.8 percent from 7,501 million dollars over the same period last year, said a General Department of Customs and Excise's report on Friday.
Garments and textiles accounted for 6,814 million dollars during the January-August period this year, up 23 percent from 5,524 million dollars over the same period last year, the report said.
Footwear represented 1,090 million dollars, up 22 percent from 890 million dollars, while travel goods absorbed 1,313 million dollars, up 20.8 percent from 1,087 million dollars, the report added.
Hoe Ee Khor, chief economist of the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office, said the garments, footwear and travel goods sector remained one of the major drivers for Cambodia's economic growth.
"Growth in the garment sector is projected to rebound steadily in 2024, driven by stronger demand for consumer goods in major advanced markets," he wrote to Xinhua in a recent e-mail.
The garments, footwear and travel goods industry is the largest foreign exchange earner for the Southeast Asian country.
The sector currently consists of about 1,538 factories and branches, employing approximately 913,000 workers, mostly female, according to the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training's latest report. ■
