BRI-backed economic zone in Cambodia reports export growth in first 2 months of 2026

BRI-backed economic zone in Cambodia reports export growth in first 2 months of 2026

The export value from enterprises in the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) in Cambodia increased 20.5% during the January-February period this year compared to the same period last year, the zone’s operator said yesterday.

Jointly ventured by Chinese and Cambodian investors, the SSEZ is a flagship project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In its news release, the SSEZ operator said that enterprises’ electricity consumption in the zone increased by 19% year on year, indicating continued development and expansion.

“These impressive results truly reflect the SSEZ’s continuous efforts to promote industrial upgrading as well as the core strength of enterprises within the zone in achieving robust production and sales,” the press release said. “This strong resilience and vitality have also injected new momentum into the construction of Cambodia’s Industrial Development Corridor.”

In recent years, the SSEZ has proactively planned and steadily improved its infrastructure, including water, electricity, and steam, as well as urban support services such as commerce, housing, education, and healthcare.

This has continually enhanced its industrial capacity, optimised its business environment to attract, retain and promote sustainable development, and vigorously supported the optimisation and upgrading of its industrial structure, focusing on the development of the automotive manufacturing and parts, new energy components and machinery processing, and power equipment supply chains,” the press release said.

To date, the SSEZ has successfully attracted 217 international companies and institutions, creating 35,000 jobs for local people and becoming a powerful driving force for Cambodia’s Industrial Development Corridor initiative, it added.

Thong Mengdavid, deputy director of the China-ASEAN Studies Centre at Cambodia University of Technology and Science, said the figure emphasised the zone’s rise as Cambodia’s most advanced and globally connected industrial hub.

“The strong trade performance indicates robust investor confidence and high operational efficiency,” he told Xinhua.

Established in 2008, the 11-square-kilometre SSEZ is located near the deep-water Sihanoukville Autonomous Port in the south-western coastal province of Preah Sihanouk.

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