Saturday, November 28, 2009

Trade Officials Fight Allegations of Label Swaps

Cham Prasidh involved in garment quota sale to neighboring countries?

By Taing Sarada, VOA Khmer
Original report form Washington
27 November 2009

“No one can trick us. The one who talk about the Vietnamese clothes, they even provoke problem at the Vietnamese border. (sic!)” - CPP Cham Prasidh
Commerce officials are working in the US to counter accusations that garments claiming to be made in Cambodia are actually produced in neighboring Vietnam.

Members of the opposition “told America that our shirts were not made in Cambodia, but were made in Vietnam,” Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh told VOA Khmer in an interview on a recent visit to Washington. “Is it fair to say that?”

Cham Prasidh and other officials were in Washington to seek more markets for Cambodian products and to lobby for continued preferential trade agreements.

The garment industry provides more than 300,000 jobs and is economic earner for Cambodia, sending most of its items to the US market.

Sandra Polaski, deputy undersecretary of the US Department of Labor said allegations of label-swapping had reached her, but she dismissed them.

“There is actually a fairly strict system to monitor, to be sure that the products that were labeled, ‘Made in Cambodia,’ came from Cambodia. So I don’t think it is an extensive problem.”

Similarly, Cham Prasidh said that the Cambodian ministry of commerce has effective examine systems to every garment factories that can’t be cheated. He urges those critics better to think more about the country benefits.

“We have control systems at every garment factory,” Cham Prasidh said. “No one can trick us. The one who talk about the Vietnamese clothes, they even provoke problem at the Vietnamese border.”

Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian Son Chhay said the allegations should be investigated.

And Chea Mony, president of the Free Trade Unions of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia, said the government still needs to establish an inspection group to monitor factories.

Van Sou Ieng, president of the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia, said there was no benefit to label swaps, as the costs of smuggling goods or paying bribes to conduct the scheme would outweigh the benefits.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

There is some truth in this accusation. Not Only with Vietnam but also other coutries like China. Not all clothes but some clothes. Some clothes say made from Cambodia but actually they are from China and Vietnam.

US and EU are very kind to buy clothes from Cambodia. They do this because they want to help poor Cambdodian by helping to buy clothes so that it creats jobs for them. But you corrupt people do not care about poor. You made a deal with bad business people from China and Vietnam to swap the label. As a results many factories close now because they can not sell their products because you corrupt government officers let Chinese and Vietnamese business people sell their clothes from their countries to America but saying the clothes are made from Cambodia.

Anonymous said...

"Cham Pralith urges those critics better to think more about the country benefits."

Listen to who's preaching?

This guy.wife and daughter own Ministry of Commerce ouright with installed payment in boxes of cash in dollar to Bun Rany at home annually.

So Pralith does whatever he wants in Commerce ministry.To make up for his needs, Pralith receives kickback pay as fees from those garment factory owners in other countries who swap labels.

US trade commission needs to tightly scrutinize Pralith kickback operations.

Anonymous said...

Some people who are close to the Ministry of Commerce told me that most of garments exported to America came from China, Taiwan, Vietnam etc. These countries produced the garments, put "Made in Cambodia" label, transported them to Sihanoukville seaport and get seal and approval from Cambodian customs, paid bribes and were allowed to sail directly to the U.S.

They said if all the garments exported to the US are made in Cambodia, many Cambodians would have their jobs. But the fact is that these garments are made overseas and only get Cambodian label before exported to the US.

Anonymous said...

Go figures,How long has Cham Prasidh been minister of commerce? This guy, Sok Anh, Ah Kwak and the rests are all in for the total destruction of Sruk Khmer. Uncle Sam needs to a hand on this. Not the first time this headline has surfaced.

Anonymous said...

US Congress needs to vote down on granting "most preferential trade" status to Cambodia.

Anonymous said...

Insider told me some cloths come from China and Viet, then received stamp in Cambodia. After the product was stamped and it was export to USA and Europe. That is the true fact.

Ghost Angkor

Anonymous said...

Look at this motherfucker eye so small he even look like vietcong, I wonder is this motherfucker is really Cambodia at all. He is Cambodia hybrid. I not surprise that this motherfucker is not Cambodian at all.

Anonymous said...

even corruption has limit,too, you know. can't keep on being corrupted forever, ok!

Anonymous said...

Ah Cham min ches tnoy = Ah choy min ches thnam = cham prasith

Anonymous said...

Ah Chor Prashit head Ott ban ka, Ott ban pro Yorch Ey Oss...! Ah Si bye Oss te angkorr...!

Anonymous said...

he's not a real khmer, he's chines he moved to cambodia for his business, surely he don't care about khmer interest. sadly khmer.

Anonymous said...

ah pouch jou maSHIT Cham Pralidh euy...ah eang neis kmean deung ey te...ah pleu! ah eang neis ornkeam tea kdor ah Hun and ah Youn te...!

Anonymous said...

I don't like this guy due to many reasons. He is not suitable for this position. Hun Sen will regret if he doesn't fire him soon

Anonymous said...

6:50 AM,
Cham Prasith is Khmer. My parents knew him and his family since they were young. Somehow I hate him and his whole family for robbing the country. He has only a bachelor degree in Pol.Sc. now he is millionnaire.

Anonymous said...

I met in 2002. He is not a pleasant man to be around. He has a negative personality otherwise he wouldn't be fit with the team a kwak and vietcong. Death CPP and xihanouk's family.

Anonymous said...

2:14PM.
You curse those Khmers to die, so who will replace them? Certainly not you or me, because Ah Youn thieves are ready to replace them.
I would not curse any Khmer to die, they too are nationalists, but they are not well armed like ah Yuon who infiltrate all over in Srok Khmer for hundred years.

I just put the curse that ah.mi Youn will be suffering and die in the living hell if they don't stop hurting Khmers.

Anonymous said...

Cham Prasith is a chinese, i doubt if if doesn't have some viet blood line

sino viet

dont't talk of national conscience with this man; just a crook opportunist

former smuggler,79 said...

Ah Cham Prashit is Mai Chor harroy..! i don't understand why Ah kwang hired this moron at the first place...? including KanChas shrink dick Kiet Chhon oldfart...!

Anonymous said...

Ah Chor MaShit Prashit looks more like> Ting Mong Cham Sre...!

Anonymous said...

If SRP were to gain his support he should draw a distinction between his party and CPP so people can see the difference approach to serve the nation. SRP must be creditable in each of its claims to back up with facts and findings. I am a SRP supporter and sometimes I begin to ponder of what is SRP is doing... in its causes to serve the nation and certainly I don't want to see SRP disappearing its support.

Anonymous said...

8:33 PM,
Cham Prasith is Khmer not Khmer-Mon not Chinese and not Youn. I don't defend this old fart for his corruption against his own people, but my parents were childhood friend with him and his whole family for many generation.
You made your judgement based on his face but I told you based on he was my parents' childhood friends and they knew each other since they were children.
Now I called him "Louk Poo" he stop looking at me. I hate this old corrupt bastard.

Anonymous said...

Chor Prashit head and KanChas shrink dick Kiet Chhon are the most corrupted people in cambodia, they got so much plot of lands in every province, beside kompong soam and Kep, they robbs from the country, all villa, plot of lands that they owned are belongs to the state...

Anonymous said...

Ah Chor Prashit muk duch Tea Kaap..!