PHNOM PENH, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia exported garments, footwear, and travel goods worth 12.22 billion U.S. dollars during the first 11 months of 2024, up 24.9 percent year-on-year, said a report from the Ministry of Commerce on Thursday.
Garments worth 8.94 billion dollars were exported during the cited period this year, with a year-on-year increase of 25.8 percent, the report said, adding that footwear products worth 1.5 billion dollars were shipped to international markets, up 24.3 percent.
In addition, travel goods equivalent to 1.78 billion dollars were exported during the same period, up 21.5 percent.
Hoe Ee Khor, chief economist of the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office, said the garment, footwear, and travel goods (GFT) sector remained one of the key drivers for Cambodia's economic growth.
"Growth in the GFT 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 email.
The GFT 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. ■