Cambodia, US upbeat on expanding bilateral trade ties

Cambodia, US upbeat on expanding bilateral trade ties

Phnom Penh and Washington voice confidence that continued cooperation would further enhance bilateral relations, particularly through increased trade flows and US investment in Cambodia.

Cambodia and the United States have expressed optimism about further strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties following high-level talks in Washington, DC, according to an official statement released yesterday.

On the afternoon of February 18, Prime Minister Hun Manet held a working meeting with Jamieson Greer, US Trade Representative, during his visit to the United States to take part in the first meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington, D.C.

During the meeting, Greer commended Cambodia’s efforts to steadily advance bilateral relations, particularly in trade. He noted that Cambodia-US bilateral trade grew by nearly 29 percent in 2025 compared with 2024, while US investment in the Kingdom also rose significantly, reflecting strong confidence in cooperation between the two countries.

In response, Mr Hun Manet praised the work of the US Trade Representative’s team in negotiating and reaching a reciprocal trade agreement between Cambodia and the United States, which established tariff rates of around 19 percent on Cambodian goods imported into the US market.

He also expressed appreciation for the participation of President Donald Trump in diplomatic efforts related to regional peace initiatives, including the ceasefire push on July 28, 2025, the Kuala Lumpur Joint Statement on October 26, 2025, and the Joint Declaration on December 27, 2025, to support lasting peace between Cambodia and Thailand.

Both sides voiced confidence that continued cooperation would further enhance Cambodia-US relations, particularly through increased trade flows and US investment in Cambodia.

Mr Hun Manet reaffirmed that Cambodia would continue working towards key milestones to ensure the full implementation of the reciprocal trade agreement for the mutual benefit of both nations.

Before concluding the meeting, the Prime Minister and Greer also discussed potential areas for expanding cooperation and addressing remaining challenges, with the goal of further boosting bilateral trade and US exports to Cambodia.

The latest figures released by the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia (GDCE) showed that the US remained Cambodia’s largest export market in January 2026, with shipments to the American market rising sharply.

Cambodia exported goods worth $1.28 billion to the US during the month, while total bilateral trade reached $1.32 billion, marking a 48 percent increase compared with the same period last year.

Exports to the US surged 47.6 percent year-on-year, while imports from the US were valued at $38.84 million, up 63.5 percent from January 2025, the GDCE data showed.

The report confirmed that the US continued to rank as Cambodia’s leading export destination, followed by Vietnam, Japan, China and Canada. The robust growth underscores the resilience of Cambodia’s export-oriented manufacturing sector, despite ongoing global economic uncertainty and evolving supply chains.

Cambodian exports to the American market remain heavily concentrated in garments, footwear, travel goods and other manufactured products, which continue to benefit from steady consumer demand.

khmertimeskh