The European Union Parliament last Thursday condemned the political persecution faced by Cambodian opposition parties ahead of elections in June and 2023, even suggesting the possibility of a full EBA suspension if the balloting was not free and fair. Former CNRP president Kem Sokha paid his respects to Prime Minister Hun Sen at the funeral of the latter’s brother, Hun Neng.
The Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia has filed court action against the E.U. seeking to reverse the bloc’s partial suspension of trade benefits over human rights violations.
Cambodia’s pandemic-hit garment industry took another blow on Wednesday, losing some of its duty-free trade access to the E.U., with the bloc noting that the government had failed to make political reforms to avoid the penalties.
Two weeks ahead of Europe raising tariffs on Cambodia over human-rights concerns, officials explained the finalization of a free-trade deal with China as being about expanding the range of Cambodian exports, not making up for the loss.
Prime Minister Hun Sen has touted Cambodia’s “strong” agricultural sector as a solution to economic pressures during the global pandemic, though some observers doubt agriculture could make up for garment sector losses due to Covid-19 and the pending withdrawal of some E.U. trade perks.
With sinking exports and suspended production lines, the garment industry and a labor union continued appeals for help from the government and others this week, respectively renewing calls for a delayed partial withdrawal of trade benefits and quicker processing of worker payouts.
Local industry groups have asked the E.U. to postpone the partial withdrawal of Cambodia’s tariff-free access to the European bloc for a year to allow the garment sector time to recover from the ongoing pandemic-spurred economic crisis.
Amid economic risks from the global coronavirus outbreak and the E.U.’s partial suspension of duty-free trade benefits, Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday laid out measures aimed at shoring up the nation’s key tourism and garment sectors.
Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday linked his decision to let a luxury cruise ship dock in Cambodia, after it had been turned away by other nations due to coronavirus fears, with the nation’s commitment to human rights, just days after the E.U. withdrew trade benefits over rights violations.
Cambodia’s duty-free trade access to the European market was partially withdrawn by the E.U. on Wednesday over “serious and systematic” human rights violations by Cambodia, the European Commission said.
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