Economy
Trade With China Surges, Cambodia Deficit Nears $3 Billion
PHNOM PENH, March 11, 2026 (KPT) — Cambodia’s trade with China surged more than 30 percent in the first two months of 2026, underscoring Beijing’s role as Phnom Penh’s largest trading partner but widening Cambodia’s deficit, official data showed Wednesday.
The General Department of Customs and Excise said bilateral trade reached $3.57 billion from January to February, up 34.4 percent year-on-year. Cambodian exports rose 35.7 percent to $295 million, while imports climbed 34.2 percent to $3.28 billion, leaving a deficit of about $2.9 billion.
Lim Heng, vice president of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce, said the growth reflected expanding economic ties. He noted that while Cambodia imports far more than it exports, many of the goods from China are raw materials and inputs used by Cambodian factories to produce exports for markets such as the EU and United States.
Cambodia’s exports to China include agricultural products, furniture, jewelry and textiles, while imports consist largely of machinery, construction materials, vehicles, electronics and consumer goods.
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