PHNOM PENH, May 2 (Xinhua) — Garment and footwear sector, Cambodia's largest foreign currency earner, has seen a 13-percent rise in export in the first quarter of 2016, according to a report of the Ministry of Industry on Monday.

The Southeast Asian country had exported the products worth 1. 55 billion U.S. dollars during the January-March period this year, up 13 percent from 1.37 billion U.S. dollars over the same period last year, the report said.

Major markets for the items are Europe, the United States, and Canada.

Garment and footwear sector accounts for about 80 percent of the country's total export. The sector is comprised of some 1,007 factories with around 754,000 workers.

Minimum wage for workers is 140 U.S. dollars per month.