The Ministry of Commerce announced that representatives from the northwest Chinese province of Shaanxi have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to purchase 300,000 tonnes of Cambodian rubber, with exports to begin next year, state news agency AKP said on Friday.

The MoU comes after a meeting between Commerce Minister Pan Sorasak and a delegation of Chinese and Japanese investors.

Cambodia’s rubber sector has struggled to gain traction as global commodity prices continue to remain low, with the Kingdom only exporting around 145,000 tonnes last year valued at $187 million, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.