Cambodia's Apparel Exports Surge by 26% in Early 2025
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- Published: Saturday, 15 March 2025 04:03
Cambodia's apparel industry continues to demonstrate strong growth, with exports rising by 26.29% to $1.73 billion in the first two months of 2025. This surge highlights the country's increasing role in global textile trade, as apparel exports accounted for 38.8% of Cambodia’s total foreign income, which reached $4.46 billion, according to the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) under the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
From January to February 2025, Cambodia’s exports of knitted apparel and clothing accessories (Chapter 61) climbed to $1.04 billion, reflecting a 23.3% rise compared to $842.41 million during the same period in 2024. Similarly, exports of non-knitted apparel and clothing accessories (Chapter 62) increased by 31% to $690.81 million, up from $527.30 million in the previous year.
In February 2025 alone, Cambodia’s knitted apparel exports reached $467.22 million, marking a 14.8% year-over-year increase from $406.85 million in February 2024. Meanwhile, non-knitted apparel exports rose by 20.8% to $312.21 million, compared to $258.43 million in the previous year.
Cambodia's import of textile raw materials experienced a notable increase in early 2025, indicating a growing demand for production inputs. Imports of knitted or crocheted fabrics (Chapter 60) rose by 12.9% to $455.93 million, up from $403.79 million in the corresponding period of 2024. Man-made fibre imports (Chapter 55) saw a modest increase of 2.4%, reaching $226.67 million from $221.30 million. Cotton and cotton yarn (Chapter 52) imports also grew by 12.6%, amounting to $122.37 million, compared to $108.65 million in 2024.
Cambodia's strong performance in textile and garment trade signals improving global demand for textiles and apparel. However, export performance was stronger in January than in February 2025, suggesting seasonal fluctuations or shifting market dynamics.
In 2024, Cambodia’s apparel exports surged by 24.44% to $9.79 billion, including $6.64 billion from knitted apparel and $3.15 billion from non-knitted apparel. The country also imported knitted or crocheted fabrics worth $3.08 billion, man-made fibres worth $1.35 billion, and cotton and cotton yarn worth $766 million.
Despite a decline of 12.91% in apparel exports in 2023, the Cambodian textile industry had rebounded from its previous downturn. The sector had earlier experienced a 12.69% increase in 2022, when total exports reached $9.04 billion.
The continued expansion of Cambodia’s apparel industry in early 2025 underscores the nation’s resilience and ability to adapt to changing global market demands. With strong export performance and rising imports of raw materials, the Cambodian garment sector appears poised for sustained growth in the coming months.