PHNOM PENH: The Kingdom’s international trade continued to perform strongly in the first half of the year, with total trade reaching almost US$37 billion, an increase of more than 20% over the same period in 2025. At the same time, the trade deficit widened to nearly US$2.7 billion.
According to a July 10 report from the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE), Cambodia exported goods worth $17.08 billion between January and June, up 19.5% from the $14.29 billion recorded during the same period in 2025.
Imports totalled $19.77 billion, an increase of 21.4% from the $16.28 billion of a year earlier.
This meant international trade in the first six months of 2026 reached $36.85 billion, up 20.5% from the $30.57 billion recorded in the corresponding period last year.
Cambodia’s top 10 trading partners were China, the US, Vietnam, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Canada and Spain.
The Kingdom’s trade deficit of approximately $2.69 billion in the first half of 2026, compared with $1.98 billion during the same period in 2025.
Lim Heng, vice-president of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC), told The Post that as a developing country, Cambodia is making significant efforts to strengthen its economy and accelerate economic growth.
He said the government’s introduction of new policies, investment in supporting infrastructure and the private sector’s efforts to attract and encourage domestic and foreign investors have enabled Cambodia to achieve continued positive economic results.
Heng added that much of the increase in imports consisted of semi-finished products and raw materials used in manufacturing goods in Cambodia for subsequent export to international markets.
“The growth in international trade reflects confidence in new investment and Cambodia’s export performance in global markets. Export and import values are expected to continue rising, provided there are no major disruptions to the global political and economic environment,” he said.
He also noted that improvements to Cambodia’s investment legal framework, preferential tariff schemes granted by major trading partners and the continued implementation of bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements will help attract more large international companies to invest in Cambodia. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
