The Cambodian and Import-Export Goods Exhibition held at Koh Pich last year. Heng Chivoan
Local producers will have the opportunity to showcase their products and seek foreign partnerships at the upcoming 16th Cambodian and Import-Export Goods Exhibition. The event aims to stimulate local trade and investment activities.
The expo is set to take place from December 15-18 at the Koh Pich Convention and Exhibition Centre in Phnom Penh.
The Ministry of Commerce has announced that alongside the exhibition, it will organise side events including a seminar on trade promotion, a business and investment forum, business matching and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing ceremony. The events are designed to support and promote the private sector.
“The exposition’s goal is to enhance trade and investment activities, particularly by promoting the export of products and services, thus contributing to the national economy’s development. It will provide a new opportunity for business connections between businesses throughout Cambodia, as well as between Cambodian and foreign businesses,” the ministry stated.
Ministry secretary of state and spokesperson Penn Sovicheat said on December 7 that the expo would showcase numerous domestically produced products to local and international consumers.
He said the move aims to promote local products and demonstrate the improvement in local production.
“Our domestic production has improved in both quality and quantity, with some products now able to replace imports. Therefore, the expo’s purpose is to display what we have produced, not only for local consumption but also for export,” he explained.
Sovicheat noted that the expo will not only display local products but also provide domestic producers with the opportunity to meet foreign buyers and producers participating in the event.
“This is a great opportunity for our local producers – not just to sell their products but to engage in direct business dialogues with foreign buyers and producers and potentially form partnerships,” he added.
Lim Heng, vice-president of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC), also noted the numerous opportunities available to participants.
“Currently, our local products, especially in food-processing and some manufacturing sectors, have significantly improved, enabling us to compete with imported goods. The exhibitions will not only demonstrate our capabilities to the public but also give our producers a chance to engage directly with foreign exhibitors or buyers during the event,” he added.
The expo, an annual event hosted by the ministry since 2005, aims to promote and increase economic activities in the country while boosting domestic production. It also offers local producers the chance to modernise their production in terms of packaging, quality and quantity, responding to market demand and competing with imported products, as per the ministry.
