PHNOM PENH: Cambodia exported US$6,246 million worth of garments, footwear and travel goods (GFTs) in the first half of 2024, up 16.5 percent from US$5,360 million recorded in the same period last year, a Ministry of Commerce’s report showed.

Garment export was valued at US$4,569 million during the January-June period this year, up 18.4 percent from US$3,858.5 million over the same period in 2023, the source pointed out.

Footwear represented US$774 million, up 10.4 percent from US$700.6 million, while travel goods absorbed US$903 million, up 12.7 percent from US$801 million, the report added.

The GFT industry is the largest foreign exchange earner for this 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 Labour and Vocational Training’s latest report. AKP