PHNOM PENH, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia exported 3.8 billion U.S. dollars worth of garment, textile, footwear and travel products to international markets in the first quarter of 2026, up 7.7 percent year-on-year, said the Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday.
Apparel and textiles accounted for 2.77 billion dollars during the January-March period this year, marking an increase of 7.6 percent, a report issued by the ministry said.
Footwear represented 516 million dollars, up 11.8 percent, while travel goods absorbed almost 513 million dollars, up 4.2 percent, the report added.
Thong Mengdavid, deputy director at the China-ASEAN Studies Center of the Cambodia University of Technology and Science, said the continued growth reflected the country's effective market diversification beyond its traditional partners.
"Cambodia's participation in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement and its bilateral free trade agreements with China, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates have helped facilitate market access and supply chain integration," he told Xinhua.
The garment, textile, footwear, and travel goods industry is Cambodia's largest foreign exchange earner, accounting for 46 percent of the kingdom's total export value, according to the report.
The sector currently consists of more than 1,800 factories and branches as of 2025, employing approximately 1.1 million workers, mostly women, according to the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training. ■
