Garment industry, Cambodia's largest income maker, reported a 24 percent rise in exports in the first ten months of 2013, according to figures of the country's Ministry of Commerce Thursday.

The figures showed that the country exported garment products in equivalent to 4.76 billion U.S. dollars during the January- October period this year, up 24 percent from the 3.82 billion U.S. dollars over the same period last year.

In October alone, the Southeast Asian nation exported garment items worth 537 million U.S. dollars, up 40 percent compared with the 384 million U.S. dollars over the same month last year.

Apparels are mostly sold to European countries and the United States.

Van Sou Ieng, President of the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia, said Thursday that the growth was thanks to the relaxation of duty-free exports to Europe.

"About 50 percent of the products goes to Europe, some 47 percent to the U.S., and the rest to other countries in Asia," he said.

Garment sector accounts for about 80 percent of the country's total exports. The sector comprises about 500 factories with some 510,600 workers. Monthly minimum wage for a worker is 80 U.S. dollars. Endi

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