Cambodia's garment and textile exports grew by more than 30 per cent year-on-year through October, according to Ministry of Commerce data.

The exports increased by nearly US$880 million, reaching $3.47 billion, the data showed.

Cambodia’s garments – the Kingdom’s main export – are still in demand in the United States and European Union despite economic slowdowns and sovereign debt crises, officials said yesterday. Low pricing of garments and textiles has kept the industry afloat, they said.

“We serve ordinary people, the low- and medium-income people whose wages were somewhat affected [by the West’s economic problems] but can still afford our products,” Kong Putheara, director of the Commerce Ministry’s Department of Statistics, said.

While Western countries import the majority of Cambodia’s garments and textiles, new markets in the region including China contributed to the growth rate, he added.

Garment and Footwear Manufacturers’ Association of Cambodia chairman Van Sou Ieng told the Post in August that growth in the sector would remain strong through to the end of the year.

“We will have very little impact in 2011. I think people [in Western countries] can continue to afford daily commodities,” he said, adding however that the Kingdom’s exports may take a hit next year given problems in the United States and European Union.

Garment exports to the United States rose about 16 per cent to $1.74 billion during the period ending in October, while shipments to the European Union surged 59 per cent to $1.03 billion.