Recently, the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC), the Cambodia Footwear Association (CFA) and the EuroCham have recently signed a letter to the European Commission requesting the European Commission to extend the preferential treatment of EBA for 12 months.

250 garment companies in Cambodia were closed, and more than 130,000 workers (mostly female workers) were unemployed.

In the first quarter of this year, many customers in Cambodia have cancelled orders for clothing, footwear and travel goods. Therefore, the sales volume of the above products will drop by 50% - 60% year-on-year this year. Van Sou Ieng, chairman of the Cambodian Garment Manufacturers Association, believes that if the European Union insists on the withdrawal of preferential treatment of EBA in Cambodia on August 12, the above-mentioned industries will be “a bit worse.”

Arnaud Darc, chairman of the EuroCham, said the COVID-19 outbreak has had a severe impact on the global economy, including Cambodia. The EU is Cambodia’s largest trading partner. In 2018, Cambodia’s total exports of goods to the EU accounted for 45% of the country’s total exports of goods, valued at USD 5.5 billion.