Cambodia trade tops $50B in 8 months

Cambodia trade tops $50B in 8 months

The robust trade momentum is largely anchored by strong commercial ties with China, the United States, and Vietnam.

Cambodia’s total trade reached $50.69 billion in the first eight months of this year, up 20.2 percent from $42.15 billion during the same period in 2025, according to a General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) release yesterday.

The GDCE’s Trade Balance Statistics showed that exports increased 19.7 percent year-on-year to $24.16 billion, while imports rose 20.7 percent to $26.52 billion. As imports continued to exceed exports, Cambodia’s trade deficit widened to $2.36 billion during the January-August period, compared with $1.78 billion a year earlier.

The export-to-import coverage ratio also edged down slightly to 91.1 percent from 91.9 percent over the same period last year, reflecting the faster growth in imports compared with exports.

China remained the Kingdom’s largest trading partner by total trade volume, with bilateral trade reaching $15.54 billion, an increase of 22.4 percent compared with the first eight months of 2025.

Cambodia exports to China rose 23.4 percent to $1.31 billion, while imports from China increased 22.3 percent to $14.23 billion.

The figures resulted in a trade deficit of $12.92 billion with China, highlighting the continued imbalance between Cambodia’s exports to and imports from the world’s second-largest economy.

The United States ranked second among Cambodia’s trading partners, with two-way trade reaching $11.12 billion, up 29.9 percent year-on-year. Meanwhile, exports to the US increased 28.5 percent to $10.68 billion, and imports from the US surged 77.7 percent to $432 million.

Despite the sharp rise in imports, the country recorded a trade surplus of approximately $10.25 billion with the US, making the American market a major contributor to Cambodia’s overall export performance during the period.

Vietnam ranked third, with bilateral trade reaching $5.98 billion, representing a 7 percent increase from the same period last year. Cambodia exports to Vietnam rose 7.6 percent, while imports increased 6.4 percent, resulting in a relatively narrow bilateral trade deficit of approximately $63 million.

The growth comes as Cambodia and Vietnam continue efforts to expand bilateral economic ties and achieve their ambitious target of $20 billion in annual two-way trade.

The $5.98 billion recorded during the first eight months represents nearly 30 percent of the $20 billion target, highlighting the significant scope for further expansion in trade between the neighbouring countries.

The figures underlined the importance of Cambodia’s major trading partners to the country’s external trade, with China, the US and Vietnam together accounting for over $32.6 billion in two-way trade, representing over 64 percent of Cambodia’s total trade during the period.

Overall, exports increased by nearly $4 billion from the same period last year, while imports expanded by more than $4.5 billion, reflecting stronger trade activity during the eight months.

However, the faster growth in imports contributed to the widening overall trade deficit, despite Cambodia maintaining an export-to-import coverage ratio of around 91 percent.

With total trade already exceeding $50 billion after eight months, Cambodia’s trade performance remains a key indicator of economic activity, with China, the US and Vietnam continuing to account for a substantial share of the Kingdom’s external trade.

khmertimeskh