Lao Garments Export Reaches 37 Million Pieces, but Drops by 5%

• Mar 24, 2017

(KPL) Last year’s volume of clothes export was recorded at more than 37 million pieces, amounting to over US$160 million, according to the Association of the Lao Garment Industry.

The President of the Association of the Lao Garment Industry, Mr Xaybandith Rasphone, recently disclosed that the number of clothes exported dropped by 5% last year, compared to the previous year.

“We will strive to increase our products constantly and marketing promotion to raise the volume of export this year,” he pointed out. “We will work closely with the Industry and Handicraft Department of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to make a strategic plan for development of the garment industry sector.”

In addition, the association will continue to mobilise small-scale garment factories across the country to become members of the association in a bid to increase productivity in the future.

The association will also coordinate with local cloth shops to reduce importing clothes from neighbouring countries, aiming at promoting domestic products consumption.

There are a total of 85 garment factories nationwide with more than 27,000 employees, of whom almost 90% are female, according to the latest information in 2016. 57 garment factories reported to producing garments for export, and 47 factories are members of the association.

The main export markets are the European Union, Japan, United States of America and Canada.

Source: http://kpl.gov.la/En/Detail.aspx?id=23190