PHNOM PENH: A major powerhouse, Cambodia's textile and apparel sector has been serving the global market and growing at a solid pace over the years.

While diversification of the economy takes place, the garment sector will remain the largest employer for a while. Cambodia is a major garment producer in the world.

In 2022, according to GDCE, the total exports of garment and footwear were approximately $13 billion and the sector accounted for 63 percent of Cambodia's export earnings.

In 2022, Cambodia had a total of 1,968 large-scale factories, and two-thirds of their production are exported to foreign markets. Moving from a labor-intensive model to a high-value and skills-intensive garment production model is key for the sector to develop in the future.

The furniture and plywood industry is one of Cambodia's rapidly rising sectors and is attracting major investments and increased export potential.

According to CDC, Cambodia exports furniture and plywood products to many destinations, including ASEAN, the United States, and the United Kingdom, with a total value of approximately $99 million in 2019 and approximately $147 million in 2020.

Total investment capital in furniture and plywood is $332 million. The sector employs currently more than 9,000 local workers.