Cambodia–Thailand Trade Plunges 37.5% in H1 as Border Closures Bite

PHNOM PENH, July 10, 2026 (KPT)– Cambodia’s trade with Thailand fell sharply in the first half of the year, with official data showing a 37.5 percent drop compared to the same period in 2025, as border closures linked to ongoing tensions disrupted flows of goods.

Figures from the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) released Friday showed bilateral trade between January and June totaled $1.37 billion. Cambodian exports to Thailand reached $357 million, down 20.3 percent, while imports from Thailand plunged nearly 42 percent to $1 billion.

Commerce Ministry spokesman Pen Sovicheat said Thai border closures had severely affected imports, with some categories falling by more than 70 percent. He noted that while certain goods such as auto parts and agricultural machinery continued to enter Cambodia, imports of fuel, gas, vegetables and fruit were halted entirely.

Sovicheat stressed that trade had not been cut off completely, with some shipments still moving by sea and air. “This is not a trade war,” he said, adding that Cambodia remained open to commerce while Thailand had unilaterally shut land crossings.

The ministry recalled that bilateral trade in 2025 stood at $3.65 billion, down 14.8 percent from 2024, with Cambodian exports valued at $732 million and Thai imports at $2.9 billion.

The latest figures underscore the economic impact of border tensions, which have disrupted supply chains and forced Cambodian businesses to seek alternative markets.