Jan-Aug GFT exports exceed $10 billion

Jan-Aug GFT exports exceed $10 billion

The main markets for the Kingdom’s GFT products are the US, EU, Canada and Japan.

Cambodia exported garment, footwear and travel products (GFT) worth $10.6 billion in the first eight months of 2025, up 18.5 percent from the $8.94 billion recorded in the same period in 2024, according to a report from the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia.

Garment products accounted for $7,730 million during the January-August period, up 19 percent from $6,480 million in the same period last year, read the report, which was published on September 10.

Footwear exports amounted to $1,401 million, up 28.6 percent from $1,089 million in the same period last year, while the export of travel goods was valued at $1,478 million, up 7.5 percent from $1,375 million last year.

Ly Kunthai, Chairman of the Cambodia Footwear Association, stated that the ongoing demand for Cambodian-made footwear, prompting factories across the country to expand their production and seek a number of new workers.

“Footwear factories and other manufacturing factories need more labour as factories expand, requiring skills in sewing, packaging, and quality control,” Kunthai said during a visit to a footwear factory in Phnom Penh last Saturday.

The main markets for the Kingdom’s GFT products are the US, EU, Canada and Japan, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Cambodia exports GTF goods, solar panels, furniture, and bicycles to the US under the trade preference scheme of the Most Favoured Nation.

The global demand for apparel and textiles is on the rise, said Penn Sovicheat, Secretary of State and spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce.

“This has led to more purchase orders for our GFT industry, which demonstrates that our products are high quality and can compete in foreign markets,” he said.

The Cambodian government has diversified markets for made-in-Cambodia products to ensure the sustainable growth of the manufacturing sector in the country.

The huge markets in the bilateral FTAs, countries like China, South Korea, and the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with the United Arab Emirates, particularly the mega regional trade pact -RCEP agreement for market access to Cambodian products.

The GFT industry is the largest foreign exchange earner for the Kingdom.

The sector consists of about 1,608 factories, employing approximately 913,000 workers, mostly female, according to the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training’s latest report, Heng Sour, Minister of Labor and Vocational Training, said.

khmertimeskh