UK Positions Itself as Key Trade Partner for Cambodia’s Post-LDC Transition

PHNOM PENH, Jan 29, 2026 (KPT) — Cambodia and the United Kingdom have reinforced their growing economic partnership at the Third Cambodia–UK Joint Trade and Investment Forum (JTIF), aimed at supporting Cambodia’s transition from Least Developed Country (LDC) status and its ambition to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Co-hosted by Cambodia’s Ministry of Commerce and the British Embassy, the forum was held under the theme “Progressive Partnerships in a Shifting Global Landscape: A Cambodia–UK Perspective.” Senior officials, regulators, investors and business leaders gathered to advance two-way trade, reduce barriers and strengthen long-term cooperation.

Cambodia is scheduled to graduate from LDC status in 2029 and has announced plans to apply for CPTPP membership. Both sides stressed the importance of predictable, rules-based commerce to sustain growth and investor confidence during the transition.

Since the Second JTIF in 2024, cooperation has expanded through policy working groups on export facilitation, taxation, investment-linked visas and skills development. Dialogue has deepened in financial services, agri-processing, technology and professional services.

Cambodia currently enjoys tariff-free access to the UK market under the Developing Countries Trading Scheme, with preferences set to remain until 2032. In 2024, UK Export Finance signed an MoU with Cambodia’s Ministry of Economy and Finance to expand financing for infrastructure and sustainable development projects.

Commerce Minister Cham Nimul hailed the JTIF as a flagship platform for advancing bilateral trade, while British officials underscored shared support for open, rules-based economies. Two-way trade exceeded US$1 billion in 2025.