The 3rd Cambodia Industry- Handicraft Fair kicked off here on Friday, aiming at promoting home-made products to local and foreign customers, officials said.

"The exhibition is a good opportunity for national and international customers to try Cambodian products and is a rare chance for producers to promote their products to new customers," Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Keat Chhon said at the opening of the three-day event at the Diamond Island Exhibition Center.

He said in the context of ASEAN integration and trade liberalization, Cambodia has to prepare itself to compete in the ASEAN market in 2015.

"Besides seeking markets, Cambodian producers should increase production capacity and made goods in accordance with market demand and competitiveness," he said.

Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy Suy Sem said the fair reflected the country's progress in industry and handicraft in the last five years.

Currently, he said, the industrial sector has created 560,000 jobs and made products in equivalent to 5.4 billion US dollars last year, while the handicraft sector has employed about 185,000 people.

The event brought together 100 exhibitors, displaying a variety of products including information technology devices, clothes, construction materials, jewelry, furniture, foods and beverage, brewery, pharmaceutical products and cosmetics, sculptures and paintings.