PHNOM PENH, Mar 17 (NNN-XINHUA) – Cambodian Prime Minister, Samdech Techo Hun Sen, said that, 12 ships containing more than 1,000 containers of raw materials from China, arrived at the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, to supply struggling garment factories in the kingdom, the Khmer Times reported.
Speaking with officials in northwest Battambang province, Hun Sen said, China helped facilitate the transport of raw materials to Cambodia amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in raw material crunch.
The shortage saw thousands of garment factory workers being suspended as factories struggled to continue operations.
The prime minister said, more than 60 percent of the raw materials for productions in the garment and footwear industry in Cambodia are imported from China.
He added that, Chinese vessels would continue to deliver raw materials to Cambodia until May, when the situation (of COVID-19) is expected to ease.
He said, due to a shortage of raw materials, some factories in Cambodia had partially suspended operations, affecting almost 20,000 workers.
The garment and footwear industry is Cambodia’s biggest export sector, employing about 750,000 people, in approximately 1,100 factories and branches, according to the Labour Ministry.
The sector earned gross revenue of 9.32 billion U.S. dollars last year, up 11 percent compared to the year before.– NNN-XINHUA