Cambodia's foreign trade up 22 pct in first 9 months of 2026

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's foreign trade volume reached 58.48 billion U.S. dollars in the first nine months of 2026, up 22 percent year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Commerce on Thursday.

An aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 11, 2024 shows a container terminal at the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port (PAS) in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. (Photo: Xinhua)

Official data showed that the kingdom's total exports rose 18 percent to 27.47 billion dollars from January to September. Meanwhile, imports surged 26 percent to reach 31.01 billion dollars.

China, the United States, Vietnam, Singapore, and Japan were the top five trading partners.

Cambodia's primary exports included manufactured goods such as garments, footwear, travel goods, and bicycles, alongside agricultural products such as milled rice, bananas, cashew nuts, mangoes, longans, and durians.

Its top imports consisted of manufacturing raw materials, petroleum, construction inputs, vehicles, electronics, consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.

Penn Sovicheat, a secretary of state and spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, attributed the robust growth to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) with China, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates.

"This significant expansion shows that Cambodia is successfully maintaining its key international markets, elevating its position in the global supply chain, and continuing to earn the trust of international buyers," he told Xinhua.