A worker sews clothes at a garment factory in Phnom Penh. Post staff
The Kingdom’s authorities and business community are in general agreement that exports to the US will continue to grow despite the ongoing threat of new US import tariffs.In January, Cambodia earned nearly $870 million from exports to the US.
The General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) reported that last month, trade between Cambodia and the US reached a total value of $892.47 million, an increase of 38.6% over January 2024.
Of this figure, exports to the US were valued at $868.7 million, up 38.6%, while US imports amounted to $23.76 million, up 37.7%.
The figured reveal that Cambodia’s trade balance was positive, amounting to $844.94 million, compared to $609.57 million in the same period in 2024.
The US remains the largest buyer of Cambodian goods, accounting for 37.66% of the Kingdom’s total January export value of $2.306 billion.
Lim Heng, vice-president of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC), told The Post on Feruary 16 that even during global economic crises, the US has consistently been a major market for Cambodian goods, especially apparel, travel bags, footwear and solar panels.
He expected that exports would continue to increase, due to geopolitical conflicts, trade wars and the pressure of import tariffs on certain countries by the US government, which would likely boost demand for goods from Cambodian factories.
“Maintaining good diplomatic relations between the governments and private sectors of both countries, along with the growth of production capabilities and the quality of Cambodian-made products, will help Cambodia secure more orders from US investors. With the growing number of factories operating in Cambodia, I am optimistic that Cambodia will have a more diversified range of products to export to the US,” he said.
He also noted that demand for apparel, travel bags and footwear is closely linked to the tourism sector.
Therefore, the global tourism sector in 2025, which is predicted to perform better than in 2024, will undoubtedly contribute to increasing Cambodia’s exports.
Ly Kunthai, president of the Cambodia Footwear Association and the Confederation of Cambodia Investors Association (CCIA), agreed that Cambodian products will continue to find strong markets in the US, as well as other developed markets like Canada and the EU.
He believed the quality and pricing of Cambodian products are recognised in international markets and can successfully compete with products from other countries.
He noted that the level of growth would depend on the global economic conditions, although Cambodia’s production capacity faces no issues.
“Growth will continue, especially as the number of factories opening in Cambodia to produce or process goods steadily increases,” he added.
Ministry of Commerce spokesman Pen Sovicheat, in an interview with Freshnews last week, pointed out that despite the recent announcement by US President Donald Trump’s administration to increase import tariffs for goods from several countries worldwide, including China, Mexico, and Canada, there have been no indications of such actions being directed at ASEAN countries.
“We have not seen any pressure from President Trump on developing countries, and specifically, there is no pressure on Cambodia to raise tariffs on any products or on general goods. Therefore, we will continue to maintain good relations with the US market,” he said.
In 2024, total trade between Cambodia and the US was valued at $10.18 billion, an increase of 11.2% over 2023. Of this, exports to the US amounted to $9.92 billion, up 11.4%, while US imports totalled $264.15 million, an increase of 2.7%.
