The European Union has been reviewing Cambodia’s trade privileges due to concerns about human rights situation in the Southeast Asian country. The garment industry is the largest employer in Cambodia, generating $7bn for the economy each year, and the EU accounts for more than one-third of the country’s total exports, including garments, footwear and bicycles. Amid pressure from the EU over Cambodia’s human rights and political record, the government on Friday (20 September) raised legal minimum wage, starting from early 2020, for workers in its crucial textiles and footwear industry to $190 per month, an increase of 4.4 percent.
