PHNOM PENH, July 20 (Xinhua) — Cambodia's Garment Manufacturers Association (GMAC) Wednesday slammed the opposition leader for calling on the European Union to reduce imports from Cambodia.

GMAC represents all exporting garment factories in the country.

"GMAC would like to express its disagreement with and regret over a recent appeal by opposition leader Sam Rainsy for the European Union to reduce the imports of garment and footwear products from Cambodia," it said in a statement.

Sam Rainsy made the appeal at the European Parliament in Brussels last week, claiming that he would not believe the move would affect workers in Cambodia.

GMAC Secretary-General Ken Loo, however, said, "EU has been the biggest export market for Cambodia's garments, and any move by the Union to slow down imports from Cambodia would mean smashing rice pots of the workers."

The country's 6-billion-U.S.-dollar garment industry is comprised of some 1,007 factories, employing around 750,000 workers.

 Garment industry accounts for about 20 percent of Cambodia's GDP. Any slowdown in the exports would adversely affect the country's economic growth.