Cambodia, Vietnam strengthen agricultural ties through investment and trade cooperation

Cambodia, Vietnam strengthen agricultural ties through investment and trade cooperation

The Ministry of Commerce, in collaboration with the Cashew Nut Association of Cambodia (CAC) and the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), recently organised a joint event aimed at enhancing the quality of Cambodian agricultural products and expanding their reach in international markets.

According to a statement from the CAC, Cambodia is well-positioned to boost its agricultural exports and strengthen trade relations with Vietnam following a key workshop focused on fostering business partnerships.

The CAC noted that the workshop provided crucial technical assistance to Cambodian businesses in key areas, including logistics, agricultural product development, and food standards.

“The ultimate goal is to ensure Cambodian goods meet international quality benchmarks, paving the way for increased exports to lucrative markets like the European Union, Singapore, the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates,” the statement read.

Speaking to Khmer Times, Suy Kokthean, Vice President of the Cashew Nut Association of Cambodia, said the association recently facilitated a visit by a Vietnamese business delegation to explore opportunities for direct investment in Cambodia.

He noted that the visiting enterprises operate in sectors such as cashew processing and packaging, paddy rice production, and other agricultural areas.

“The Vietnamese business group is interested in working directly in Cambodia in collaboration with local partner companies,” Kokthean said. “We are currently studying and discussing how Vietnamese and Cambodian enterprises can cooperate to process products locally for export.”

He added that while the Vietnamese side brings advanced technology, Cambodia provides abundant raw materials and local resources.

“This collaborative effort highlights Cambodia’s commitment to enhancing its export capabilities and building stronger regional trade ties,” he emphasised.

During the workshop, both the CAC and CRF presented Cambodia’s agricultural potential to the visiting Vietnamese delegation. The Ministry of Commerce emphasised that the initiative aims not only to promote the exports of key products, such as rice and cashew nuts, but also to strengthen domestic production capacity, ultimately boosting income and job opportunities for Cambodian citizens.

Following the workshop, the Ministry of Commerce arranged for the Vietnamese private sector delegation to visit Cambodia’s rice and cashew sectors. The subsequent day, the CAC and CRF facilitated visits for their guests to cashew processing factories. They conducted field visits in Kampong Thom province, offering a firsthand look at Cambodia’s agricultural landscape and processing capabilities.

According to Vietnamese media reports last month, Vietnam’s cashew industry has slipped into a trade deficit owing to an increase in imports from Cambodia in early 2025.

It added that Vietnamese companies have spent more than $2 billion to import cashew nuts in the first five months of 2025, marking a return to a trade deficit for the country’s cashew sector.

“In the past five months alone, Vietnamese firms imported nearly 873,200 tonnes of cashews from Cambodia, valued at approximately $1.32 billion. This represents a 15% rise in volume and a 36.2% increase in value compared to the same period in 2024.

Notably, this $1.32 billion figure has already surpassed Vietnam’s full-year imports from Cambodia in 2024 ($1.07 billion), making it the second-highest annual import value after 2021 ($1.87 billion). Currently, Cambodian cashew nuts account for nearly 63 percent of Vietnam’s total cashew import value.

khmertimeskh