Cambodia’s trade with RCEP partners tops $40B

Cambodia’s trade with RCEP partners tops $40B

The RCEP market is a key destination for Cambodia. The Royal Government is committed to deepening regional integration to ensure long-term stability.

The Kingdom’s trade with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) partners reached a new high record in 2025, with total trade volume topping $40.24 billion, according to a report from the Ministry of Commerce.

The RCEP market now accounts for 61.68 percent of Cambodia’s total international trade last year, which recorded $65.24 billion, stated the report.

Despite a complex global uncertainty, Cambodia exported $9.8 billion worth of goods to RCEP countries in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 7 percent, the report stated.

Meanwhile, the Kingdom imported $30.44 billion worth of goods from the bloc, a year-on-year increase of 19.5 percent, added the report.

Speaking at the ministry’s annual meeting held on Friday, Minister of Commerce Cham Nimul praised the strong momentum of the Kingdom’s trade activities with the RCEP bloc.

“Cambodia has expanded trade with members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), reaching $40.2 billion in 2025, representing a huge share of Cambodia’s total export volume,” she said.

The RCEP market remains an important destination for Cambodia, she said, citing that the ministry is committed to deepening regional integration and diversifying both export products and import sources to ensure long-term stability.

“The Ministry of Commerce has actively joined other relevant ministries and institutions in economically integrating into the region and into the globe and diversifying markets by strengthening existing markets and expanding new markets for export products to,” the Minister said.

The RCEP free trade agreement entered into force on January 1, 2022.

The regional trade pact comprises 15 Asia-Pacific countries, including the ten Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and their five trading partners, namely China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.

Cambodia’s main export products are garments, machinery, electrical equipment, footwear products, leather goods, grain, furniture, rubber, fruits, vegetables, pearls, toys and textiles.

Cambodia’s major imports include raw material for garment manufacturing, medicines and supplements, consumables and food and beverages.

The Ministry of Commerce has also encouraged the private sector to maximize the benefits of RCEP to offset the eventual loss of other trade preferences.

To diversify markets beyond the existing markets, the ministry is currently working to create more free trade agreements with main trade partners to expand market access to local products for export.

khmertimeskh