Cambodia–Thailand Trade Falls 4.6% Amid Border Closures, Supply Chain Disruptions

By Leng Deth

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Sept.10, 2025) — Bilateral trade between Cambodia and Thailand totaled $2.66 billion in the first eight months of 2025, down 4.6% compared with the same period last year, according to data released by the General Department of Customs and Excise.

Cambodia’s exports to Thailand reached approximately $535 million, representing a 6.4% decline, while imports from Thailand decreased by 4.1% to $2.12 billion.

Commerce Ministry spokesperson Penn Sovicheat told Kampuchea Thmey that despite recent land border closures, trade continues through alternative routes. Thailand has redirected shipments via sea ports and border crossings through Laos, excluding restricted goods such as vegetables, fruits, electricity, fuel, and gas.

The Thai Chamber of Commerce recently urged its government to reopen the border, warning that unilateral closures by Thai military forces are affecting communities on both sides and disrupting Thailand’s export flow to Cambodia.

The chamber also cited serious impacts on multinational automobile assembly plants in Thailand, which rely on Cambodian supply chains for production inputs.

In 2024, Cambodia–Thailand trade reached $4.28 billion, up 15.5% year-on-year. Cambodia exported nearly $845 million worth of goods to Thailand, while imports from Thailand rose 18.9% to $3.44 billion.