Cambodia Urges Stronger ASEAN Investment to Unlock Regional Potential

PHNOM PENH, Mar 4, 2026 (KPT) – Cambodia has called for deeper intra-ASEAN investment to strengthen supply chains and unlock the bloc’s untapped economic potential, officials said Tuesday.

Commerce Minister Cham Nimul told the Cambodia-ASEAN Business Summit in Phnom Penh that while intra-regional investment rose 45 percent in 2024 to US$31 billion, it still represents only 14 percent of total foreign direct investment in ASEAN—far below the European Union’s 60 percent.

“This comparison underscores the significant untapped potential that still exists within ASEAN,” she said, urging member states to expand regional value chains and deepen integration.

Nimul highlighted the need to cut non-tariff barriers, improve logistics and digital connectivity, and advance frameworks such as the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement and the upcoming ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement.

She reaffirmed Cambodia’s pro-business stance, citing political stability, an open investment regime and ongoing reforms in investment law and digital transformation.

Encouraging investors to explore opportunities in manufacturing, agro-processing, green energy and the digital economy, Nimul said Cambodia offers not only a domestic market of 17 million but also a gateway to ASEAN’s 670 million consumers.

She urged businesses to turn summit dialogue into concrete investments and joint ventures to build a stronger, more integrated regional economy.