A Cambodian garment worker walks back to work after a lunch break at Ang Tako village outside Phnom Penh Cambodia, Tuesday, July 8, 2025. Most of the Cambodian-made goods exported to the US market were garments, travel goods and footwear. - AP
PHNOM PENH: The United States (US) has revised tariffs on Cambodian exports to 36 per cent, effective August 1.
The new tariff rate, announced by President Donald Trump on Monday (July 7), marks a reduction from the 49 per cent imposed in April this year.
"We will charge Cambodia a tariff of only 36 per cent on any and all Cambodian products sent into the United States, separately from all sectoral tariffs.
"Goods transhipped to evade a higher tariff will be subject to that higher tariff,” Trump said in a letter to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, reported online portal Fresh News.
He said the tariffs were imposed on the Kingdom to eliminate the unbalanced trade deficit against the US.
In the letter, Trump said that if Cambodian companies decide to build or manufacture products within the US, they will receive quick approvals from the American authorities.
According to the US Trade Representative's website, US-Cambodia bilateral trade was estimated at RM55 billion (US$13 billion) in 2024.
American exports to Cambodia were RM1.4 billion (US$321.6 million), while Cambodia exported goods worth RM53.8 billion (US$12.7 billion) last year.
The US trade deficit with Cambodia was about RM52 billion ($12.3 billion) in 2024.
Most of the Cambodian-made goods exported to the US market were garments, travel goods and footwear.
Meanwhile, in the region, Myanmar and Laos suffered the highest US tariff at 40 per cent. - Bernama
