$2.4 billion worth of garment exported in Q1

Cambodia Compass report, 04th May - Cambodia's garment exports dropped in the first quarter of the year as COVID-19 forced the closure of hundreds of factories in Phnom Penh and Takmao, Kandal province.

The Kingdom's exports of clothes, accessories, and travel goods totaled $2.4 billion in the first quarter of 2021, according to Ministry of Economy and Finance figures, down 10% from the same period last year.

Buyers and other stakeholders have been asked to be patient if garment deliveries are late, and no penalties have been requested during the current lockdown, according to the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training and the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC).

In the aftermath of the February 20 incident, the Royal Government of Cambodia imposed a two-week lockdown on all of Phnom Penh and Takmao from April 15 to May 5 to contain and prevent the spread of COVID.

According to Heng Sour, a ministry spokesman, the ministry and related parties have been working together to allow foreign buyers to be versatile and take into account the situation in Cambodia's garment industry.

"We have requested that international buyers refrain from imposing penalties on any factory that is late in shipping goods on time," he said.

He also stated that once the COVID-19 situation improves, the entire supply chain will resume normal operations as long as health guidelines and government lockdown measures are followed.

“The government, workers, and staff all support the government's health policies, and we will be able to deliver goods as quickly as possible once manufacturing chains resume,” Sour said.

In 2020, Cambodia's shipments in the sector were worth $9.5 billion, down from $10.6 billion a year earlier.

Source: Cambodia Compass comprehensive arrangement

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