PHNOM PENH – Various trade bodies in Cambodia have written to the European Commission, pleading that their withdrawal from the Everything But Arms (EBA) initiative be postponed for 12 months, to enable the country to recover from the ongoing health crisis which has had a disastrous impact on its economy.
Reaffirming a plea made just two months ago by the European Branded Clothing Alliance (EBCA); the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia, the Cambodia Footwear Association (CFA) and the European Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia (EuroCham) have addressed the Commission with an outcry that if the EBA restrictions were to come into effect as of August 12, thousands more workers will be plunged into poverty.
“If the withdrawal goes forward, more orders and jobs will be lost and will never come back,” said GMAC chairman Van Sou Leng. “The EU must not ignore the gravity of the situation and the devastating impact of removing EBA benefits in August.”