Cambodia gains 53 factories this year
The Cambodian government has approved 53 new garment and footwear factories, worth an estimated US$338 million, during the first half of this year, compared with 38 last year valued at $180 million, despite the increase in the number of strikes affecting the industry. Officials and industry representatives said the increase was mainly a result of rising wages in China, as well as Cambodia’s preferential tax status in foreign markets. They said the strikes have been a concern at some points but were not defining in how the industry was developing. Official data from the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) showed the total number new factories consisted of 40 garment factories worth $239 million; two glove factories worth more than $10 million; eight shoe factories worth $60.5 million; two sock factories worth $$25 million; and one textile plant worth $2.58 million. …
