RGPPSEZ exports hit $1.5B as zone eyes $2B target
RGPPSEZ exports hit $1.5B as zone eyes $2B target
RGPPSEZ reaffirms its resilience and stability, despite the geopolitical and trade uncertainties. The zone has maintained uninterrupted production and logistics operations, ensuring that its international tenants can continue to serve global markets without major disruption.
The Royal Group Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone (RGPPSEZ) has reported robust export performance for the first nine months of 2025, reaching a total export value of $1.5 billion as of September, with expectations that the figure will surpass $2 billion by year-end, despite challenging geopolitical and trade environments.
From January to September 2025, exports to Thailand totalled $145 million, accounting for 9.72 percent of the zone’s total export value, while shipments to the United States reached $423 million, representing 28.44 percent, according to RGPPSEZ’s report released on Monday.
The steady performance comes against the backdrop of ongoing border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand, as well as the reintroduction of a 19 percent tariff on Cambodian exports by the US administration under President Donald Trump.
Established in 2006, RGPPSEZ was envisioned as a premier industrial hub attracting investment from a wide range of industries while creating significant employment opportunities for Cambodians. Nearly two decades on, the zone has evolved into one of the Kingdom’s most dynamic economic engines.
Today, RGPPSEZ hosts 91 manufacturing companies and 29 non-manufacturing firms from 15 countries, employing around 55,000 workers in high-value-added industries that are vital to Cambodia’s economic development. In 2025 alone, the zone successfully attracted 10 new companies from China and two from Japan, reflecting continued investor confidence in its strategic location, solid infrastructure, and professional management.
Despite the geopolitical and trade uncertainties, RGPPSEZ has reaffirmed its resilience and stability. The zone has maintained uninterrupted production and logistics operations, ensuring that its international tenants can continue to serve global markets without major disruption.
According to RGPPSEZ’s report, exports to Thailand and the US have remained stable, with no significant declines observed since the border tensions began in June and the tariff measures were reinstated by the US earlier this year. Exports to other destinations combined even reached their highest level in September, demonstrating the zone’s capacity to diversify markets and adapt swiftly to external challenges.
Beyond trade, RGPPSEZ has also stepped up efforts to support domestic employment. Since June, as tensions flared along the border, the zone has recruited more than 10,000 workers, many of whom had returned from Thailand due to the conflict. This recruitment drive underscores RGPPSEZ’s role not only as an industrial and export hub but also as a crucial contributor to national job creation.
The zone’s leadership expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Hun Manet for his strong leadership in promoting social and economic development, especially within the industrial sector. His government’s continued support has been instrumental in enabling RGPPSEZ to sustain operations and growth amid external pressures.
“Crisis is not the time to ask, ‘Why me?’ It’s the time to ask, ‘What’s my next step?’” said Kith Meng, Chairman of Royal Group Phnom Penh SEZ Plc. “Positivity is not ignoring problems. It’s choosing to believe in our power to respond, not react.”
He said that RGPPSEZ has chosen to stay committed to its mission of resilience, innovation, and contribution to Cambodia’s economy. “This mindset has guided our response to challenges, and we are proud to play a role in sustaining economic momentum,” he added.
- 10:41 17/10/2025
