Kingdom sees decline in fuel imports amid stable oil prices

Kingdom sees decline in fuel imports amid stable oil prices

The emerging trend of sufficient power supplies from domestic power plants to enterprises, the electric vehicle (EV) adoption and relatively stable international oil prices may be contributing factors to the fall in fuel imports.

Cambodia’s imports of diesel fuel and gasoline experienced a slight decrease in the first five months of this year, according to a report from the Ministry of Commerce issued on Wednesday.

Cambodia’s imports of diesel fuel and petroleum oils decreased by 17 percent in the first five months of 2025, as the price of oil decreased.

The value of diesel fuel and gasoline imports totalled $901 million during the January-May period of this year, down 17 percent from $1,064 million in the same period last year, read the report.

Cambodia spent $571 million on importing diesel fuel, down 11 per cent; $335 million on gasoline, down 21 per cent, the report added.

While the Kingdom remains entirely reliant on imported petroleum products, fuel imports are important in the domestic production chain of enterprises and economic activities, said Lim Heng, Vice-President of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce.

Speaking with Khmer Times, Heng said that the emerging trend of sufficient power supplies from domestic power plants to enterprises, the electric vehicle (EV) adoption and relatively stable international oil prices may be contributing factors to this shift.

“As we can see, the oil price in the international market has decreased. This may be one of the factors in the shift,” he said.

“I think that this decline may not reflect the country’s economic slowdown, as we can see many major international financial institutions have projected Cambodia’s economy at robust growth,” he added.

The report also added that the country’s imports of combustion gas rose by 1.6 per cent to $139 million during the mentioned period.

Cambodia currently relies on imports of diesel fuel and petroleum oil as its seabed’s oil reserves have not been tapped yet. The government continues to explore opportunities for domestic oil exploration to reduce this dependency.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy predicts that demand for oil products in Cambodia will increase to 4.8 million tonnes in 2030, up from 2.8 million tonnes in 2020.

Cambodia, which is reliant on imports for its fuel supply, gets diesel and petroleum imports from Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

The government has worked hard to maintain price stability with clear principles: sufficient oil quantity to serve the people and reasonable oil prices so that people can buy and use it.

The government has also instructed relevant ministries to discuss with private companies to control retail fuel prices and prepare fuel stocks as the oil situation on the international market fluctuates.

Retailers import fuel from players including Tela Sokimex, Papa Savimex, Lim Long, and others.

Foreign companies that import fuel to Cambodia include Total, Caltex, and PTT.

At gas stations yesterday, regular petrol was 3,750 riel ($0.94) per litre, and diesel was 3,550 riel ($0.88), per litre.

khmertimeskh