An article published in Arabic by a local labor rights group in Lebanon exposes the current threats pending over garment workers in Lebanon as a result of the currently economic collapse the country is facing. The article outlines how workers could be soon left without jobs or any source of economic subsistence. 

The export-oriented garment sector currently employing 60.000 workers in Lebanon has lost $ 107 million in the first five months of this year. This is what customs data says, and it indicates a decline in the value of imported clothing in Lebanon by 65.6% in the first five months of this year compared to the same period last year, from 224 million dollars to 117 million dollars. The significant decline was recorded during April and May, as “the import value decreased in these two months only from 137.7 million dollars in 2019 to 28.6 million dollars in 2020, or 80%.” The same applies to imported shoes, whose import value decreased from $ 81 million in the first five months of 2019 to $ 31.4 million in the same period this year, registering a decrease of 58%.

The full article is available in Arabic below.