EU-German GATE supports Cambodia’s trade competitiveness

EU-German GATE supports Cambodia’s trade competitiveness

Cambodia is strengthening trade policy, market access and business competitiveness under the EU-German Global Access and Trade Expertise (EU-German GATE) project, with a focus on supporting the country’s preparations for graduation from the UN’s Least Developed Country (LDC) category.

This progress was reviewed during the 4th Project Steering Committee (PSC) Meeting held at the Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday, co-chaired by Secretary of State Tekreth Kamrang, representatives of the European Union and the German Embassy, and other PSC members.

The meeting evaluated progress and implementation challenges across key activities under the project, including support for developing and implementing trade policies, laws and regulations, as well as strengthening the capacity of public- and private-sector stakeholders as Cambodia prepares for LDC graduation.

The project also supports Cambodia’s participation in negotiations for the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), while strengthening the implementation of the Consumer Protection Law and advancing the country’s personal data protection framework and readiness.

Other priorities include strengthening institutional capacity for trade facilitation and risk management, which are expected to help improve the efficiency of cross-border trade and the overall business environment.

The programme is also supporting export promotion for selected Cambodian products and expanding market access in ASEAN, the European Union and other international markets.

In addition, the project aims to improve the trade competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), helping them better access regional and global markets.

The review comes as Cambodia prepares for its expected LDC graduation, making stronger trade institutions, export capacity, digital trade readiness and SME competitiveness increasingly vital to maintaining market access and supporting sustainable economic growth.

khmertimeskh