Cambodia’s footwear export industry generated nearly $850 million in revenue during the first five months of 2025, an increase of almost 40% over the same period last year. The US accounted for more than one-third of the total export value.
According to the Cambodia Footwear Association (CFA), from January to May, the Kingdom exported $842.1 million worth of footwear products, marking a 36.9% increase from the same period in 2024, when the figure stood at $615.22 million. The US purchased $310 million worth of Cambodian footwear, making up 37% of total international exports in this category.
In May 2025 alone, footwear exports reached $218.88 million, an increase of 35.5% compared to May 2024, and up by $57.25 million (35.3%) from April.
The CFA attributed this growth to the active participation of the association’s leaders and members in various initiatives.
Notably, from May 15–17, a CFA delegation attended the 33rd Guangzhou International Shoes and Leather Industry Equipment Exhibition in Guangzhou, China, hosted by the Confederation of International Footwear Associations (CIFA) with participation from 17 member countries. The event showcased the latest developments in footwear and leather manufacturing technologies as well as in supply chain systems.
The CFA suggested that this growth is a positive sign for Cambodia’s economy, reflecting stability in the export sector.
It was not clear when the orders were placed for the current export shipments, or how the ongoing tariff negotiations with the administration of US President Donald Trump may affect future orders.
Ly Kunthai, president of the footwear association, could not be reached on July 4, but in a recent interview with The Post, he noted that in his opinion, the growth was driven by several factors: Cambodia’s political stability, favourable investment laws, abundant skilled labour and strong demand from major markets such as the US, Europe, the UK, Japan, South Korea and China. He expected footwear exports to perform well for the entire year.
“The efforts of the government and private sector have helped Cambodia attract more investors to open factories in various industries, including footwear manufacturing. Exports of footwear and other Cambodian products to international markets will continue to increase throughout 2025,” he said.
During the first anniversary celebration of the Cambodian Investors Federation on June 20, Kunthai reiterated his and the private sector’s strong commitment to attracting foreign investors from all countries to invest in Cambodia, emphasising that this will contribute to national economic development.
“I pledge to continue engaging in activities to expand promotion, build investor confidence, foster strong economic development, improve people’s livelihoods and enhance Cambodia’s international reputation. This is in line with the government’s vision of transforming Cambodia into an upper-middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income country by 2050,” he said.
In 2024, footwear exports reached $1.681 billion, up 23% compared to 2023, when they totalled $1.365 billion. In comparison, exports were $1.737 billion in 2022, $1.393 billion in 2021, $1.123 billion in 2020 and $1.265 billion in 2019, according to the CFA.
