Women sew clothes for export at a garment factory in the Phnom Penh SEZ. STPM
Some of the Kingdom’s most popular export products are set to take centre stage at the end of the month, when Phnom Penh hosts the Global Textile Summit 2025.
The European Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia (Eurocham) announced on March 25 that the event will take place on March 31 and April 1 at the Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra.
The summit will bring together business leaders, development partners and global brands to discuss the future of the Kingdom’s garment, footwear and travel goods sector.
Packed with activities, it will include discussions and expert-led presentations on various aspects of the textile industry.
The event is being organised by the Textile, Apparel, Footwear & Travel Goods Association in Cambodia (TAFTAC), ILO – Better Factories Cambodia (BFC) and German development agency GIZ, with support from EuroCham.
Katta Orn, spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, shared Cambodia’s pride in hosting the event.
He believed that it will showcase the potential of the Kingdom’s textile sector, noting that it continues to attract foreign investment.
He added that the textile industry is advancing rapidly, creating jobs for citizens, boosting family incomes and contributing to national economic growth.
“This growth shows that Cambodia is a peaceful, safe and stable country, one that is developing its industries, especially the garment sector. It also shows the world that Cambodia is a place for investment, for setting up factories and for producing export goods to various countries globally,” he said.
“It demonstrates the major role Cambodia plays in producing export goods to supply regional, extra-regional and global markets, which is a key policy. This event is also an opportunity to showcase the Kingdom internationally. Cambodia has several bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements, which makes it perfect for the production of exports,” he continued.
Lim Heng, vice-president of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce, noted that the resurgence of the global economy following the Covid-19 crisis and political crises in major manufacturing countries like Myanmar has spurred rapid progress in Cambodia’s textile industry in the last 2-3 years, with an increase in factory openings and export orders.
“This is the reason for the growth in the textile export sector, especially to countries in the EU, the US and the UK. I believe the garment sector will continue to advance in the future,” he told The Post.
He also highlighted that due to the excellent relations between their respective governments, China is Cambodia’s primary source of raw materials for the textile industry.
The General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) reported that in 2024, Cambodia exported textile products classified under HS codes 61, 62, 63, and 64, totalling $11.68 billion, a 24.4% increase compared to 2023. These exports accounted for 44.59% of Cambodia’s total exports in 2024, which amounted to $26.2 billion.
Products under HS codes 61, 62 and 63 include articles of apparel and clothing accessories (knitted and not knitted or crocheted), while goods under HS code 64 include footwear, gaiters and the like, as well as accessories like laces.
