In a letter to US lawmakers, the American Chamber of Commerce Cambodia (AmCham) representing US businesses there has cautioned that any US Government sanctions against the country’s garment industry would result in ‘dire consequences’, harming most at the bottom of the socioeconomic pyramid and pushing the southeast Asian nation further into Chinese arms.
The US House of Representatives passed the ‘Cambodia Democracy Act of 2018’ on July 25 that could pave the way for sanctions against the country. This was after former opposition leader Kem Sokha was charged with treason and his party was dissolved by the supreme court last year.In a letter to US lawmakers, the American Chamber of Commerce Cambodia (AmCham) representing US businesses there has cautioned that any US Government sanctions against the country's garment industry would result in 'dire consequences', harming most at the bottom of the socioeconomic pyramid and pushing the southeast Asian nation further into Chinese arms.#
The chamber observed that despite significantly increased levels of investment from China, many of the skilled labour and management jobs within Chinese-run garment companies are held primarily by Chinese professionals, according to Cambodian media reports.
This, coupled with a perception that the corporate culture within these Chinese-run organisations is difficult to tolerate, implies that the average Cambodian would choose to work in a US concern, the letter said.
“As a community, this leaves America, Americans and American businesses in a strong position, provided we continue to engage,” it added. (DS)
Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India