Workers Who Made Clothes For US Will Suffer The Brunt Of Trump Tariffs

As the deadline for the new US tariffs on Sri Lankan exports draws closer, concern is growing among local businesses and citizens over the potential economic impact. The tariffs are set to take effect on August 1 after the 90-day negotiation window announced by US President Donald Trump earlier this year comes to an end.

Among the potentially hardest-hit sectors is Sri Lanka's garment industry, which employs around 3.5 lakh people. With the introduction of the US tariff of 30 per cent on Sri Lankan goods, people are worried this may force them out of work.

Cambodia will face a 36 per cent tariff. The country's apparel sector, which exported more than $3 billion worth of goods to the US last year, employs over 9 lakh workers. Both Cambodia and Sri Lanka have relied heavily on the US as a top export destination. 

The exports are the country's third-largest source of foreign currency.

Nao Soklin, a garment factory worker in southeastern Cambodia, told the BBC that she was worried about the possibility of losing her job, especially because she has children to feed. She said she and her husband make a living by sewing bags for 10 hours a day and earn $570 per month together.

Soklin said she wanted to send a message to US President Donald Trump, requesting him to lift tariffs on goods from Cambodia. "We need our jobs to support our families," she said.

Yohan Lawrence of Sri Lanka's Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) told Reuters, "If this is the end number, Sri Lanka is in trouble because our competitors, such as Vietnam, have received lower tariffs."

Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol told the BBC, "We are doing everything we can to protect the interests of both foreign investors and Cambodian workers." He explained that Cambodia wants the tariff to be zero but will try negotiating with the US at a lower rate.

Surangi Sandya, who works in a factory, told the outlet, "We have little education. We can't find other jobs. We pray every day that President Trump will lift the tariff. Please think about us and our poor country."

According to JAAF, Sri Lanka sold $747 million worth of clothes to the US in the first five months of 2025.