Cambodia: Textile industry potential highlighted at Intertextile global trade show in Shanghai
- Eco News
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
At the prestigious Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics 2025 trade show, held from 2 to 4 September in Shanghai, Cambodia strongly affirmed its strategic positioning in the textile, apparel, footwear and travel goods (GFT) industries.
At the round table organised by the ASEAN Federation of Textile Industries (AFTEX) on the theme ‘Opportunities in ASEAN in a changing trade environment’, Mr Kaing Monika, Deputy Secretary General of the Textile, Garment, Footwear and Travel Goods Association of Cambodia (TAFTAC), highlighted the Kingdom of Cambodia's strong assets in these industrial sectors, inviting investment and regional cooperation.
This intervention comes at a time when ASEAN, an emerging driver in the global textile supply chain, must adapt to profound changes in international trade dynamics, including tariff tensions, technological developments and increased sustainability requirements. The round table brought together representatives from several member countries, each promoting investment opportunities in their territory in order to capture a greater share of global demand.
Mr Kaing Monika reaffirmed TAFTAC's willingness and desire to work closely with international partners, emphasising Cambodia's strong commitment to sustainable growth and enhanced regional integration. The country aims to take full advantage of the new opportunities offered by the reconfiguration of global trade by developing its value chain in clothing, footwear and travel goods.
The Intertextile trade show, one of the world's largest and most comprehensive in the field of fabrics and accessories for clothing, offers an essential platform for meeting key players, exploring future trends and forging strategic partnerships. In 2024, the event brought together nearly 4,000 exhibitors and more than 100,000 international visitors, confirming its central role in the global textile industry.
The strength of Cambodia's textile industry is also reflected in its export performance.
According to official data from the Customs and Excise Department, Cambodia exported $7.38 billion worth of GFT products in the first half of 2025, a spectacular 22% increase from the $6.02 billion recorded in the same period last year. This growth is supported by an industrial fabric consisting of approximately 1,538 factories employing more than 913,000 people, mostly women, in a sector that is central to the national economy.
This growth comes amid a complex global context marked by political and economic uncertainty, as well as profound transformations linked to digitalisation and the transition to more environmentally friendly practices. Cambodia's industrial advancement strategy focuses in particular on technological innovation, strengthening social and environmental standards, and better integration into regional and global supply networks.
Furthermore, experts point out that Cambodia can consider moving up the value chain by shifting from simple, labour-intensive garment production to higher value-added products incorporating more sophisticated components and advanced techniques. This move upmarket is essential to sustain the country's competitiveness in the face of changing global demand and the growing demands of end consumers.
Finally, Cambodia also benefits from a geographical location and political stability that reassure foreign investors, who are always looking for reliable and efficient production sites.
The Cambodian government, as well as private actors, have shown their willingness to support this strategic sector, which remains the country's main source of foreign exchange.
This promising dynamic highlights Cambodia's ability to play a key role in the industrial renewal of the ASEAN region, drawing on maturing local expertise and growing access to international markets. The international exhibition in Shanghai was a major showcase for the kingdom, enhancing its visibility and attractiveness.