Cambodia-Vietnam bilateral trade sees steady growth, up 7%

As neighbouring countries with strong relations, Cambodia and Vietnam have seen bilateral trade increase steadily. In the first eight months of 2026, total two-way goods trade between the two countries reached nearly $6 billion, up 7%. Vietnam ranked as Cambodia’s third-largest international trading partner, after China and the US.

The General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia (GDCE) reported that bilateral trade reached $5.98 billion in the first eight months of 2026, up 7% from the same period last year. Cambodia exported $2.96 billion worth of goods to Vietnam, an increase of 7.6%, while imports from Vietnam rose 6.4% to $3.02 billion.

Cambodia recorded a trade deficit of about $63.22 million.

Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC) vice-president Lim Heng told The Post on September 22 that the growth was driven by strong cooperation between the governments and private sectors of the two countries.

He said the two governments had undertaken various joint efforts, including strengthening and expanding cooperation at border checkpoints, signing trade facilitation agreements, and improving transport connectivity and infrastructure.

“In addition, the private sectors of both countries, particularly the CCC, have continued to work closely with their Vietnamese counterparts through business-matching events and trade exhibitions to address challenges and facilitate smoother trade and joint investment between businesses from both sides,” he noted.

He added that the growth in bilateral trade in the first eight months of 2026 was not just a reflection of increased goods exchanges, but also evidence of stronger ties and deeper economic cooperation between Cambodia and Vietnam.

Royal Academy of Cambodia economist Hong Vanak said the increase in Cambodian exports to the Vietnamese market demonstrated the potential and capacity of the country’s agricultural and agro-industrial sectors.

Exports to Vietnam include rice, cashew nuts, cassava and rubber, among others, he said.

Vanak also urged Cambodian farmers and investors to further strengthen their capacity by reducing exports of raw materials and unprocessed products and instead increasing exports of finished products with greater added value.

“Cambodia must maximise exports of finished products to generate greater and more sustainable benefits. We should not rely solely on exports of raw materials, but need to promote investment in domestic processing factories to generate higher value-added products,” he said.

“In addition, Cambodia needs to strengthen sanitary and phytosanitary standards while continuing to reduce production costs to enhance its competitiveness in international markets,” he added.

In 2025, Cambodia-Vietnam trade totalled $7.79 billion, down 1% from $7.87 billion in 2024. Cambodia exported $3.73 billion worth of goods to Vietnam, up 0.8%, while imports totalled $4.06 billion, down 2.5%.

Source: Phnompenh Post