Walmart to Buy More Apparel, Luggage from Cambodian Manufacturers

Walmart plans to order more apparel items from Cambodian merchants over the course of 2018, as Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam and Cambodia compete against other apparel manufacturing powerhouses, such as China and Bangladesh.

According to Fibre2Fashion, Walmart officials sent a letter to Cambodia's minister of labour, Ith Samheng, last month, saying that Cambodia is "a key element in [Walmart's] supply chain," adding that the partnership will help Cambodian manufacturers better compete on the international manufacturing stage.

In November, Walmart officials reportedly visited the country to meet government officials as well as visit local factories, and felt satisfied enough with what they saw to commit to ordering an increased amount of apparel, footwear and luggage items made in the country.

Cambodia's commerce minister, Pan Sorasak, said that the U.S. and European markets have already placed a sizable number of orders for this year.

In September, we reported that Bangladesh is set to overtake China as the leading apparel supplier to the European Union. Also, newer manufacturing markets are gaining clout, such as Ethiopia.