Cambodia–Thailand Trade Plunges Nearly 40% in Q1 Amid Border Disruptions

PHNOM PENH, April 20, 2026 (KPT) — Bilateral trade between Cambodia and Thailand slumped nearly 40 percent in the first quarter of 2026 as border closures and regional conflict disrupted flows, official data showed Monday.

The General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) reported total trade at $696 million from January to March, down 39.4 percent year-on-year. Cambodian exports fell 29 percent to $181 million, while imports from Thailand dropped more steeply, sliding 42.4 percent to $515 million.

GDCE Director General Kun Nhem said land border disruptions and conflict had severely impacted supply chains. He noted that while consumer goods and industrial products continued to cross, imports of fuel and gas had fallen to zero.

Cambodia still imported machinery and production inputs, including agricultural equipment and industrial components, to sustain manufacturing operations by investors such as Minebea and DENSO International Asia.

The downturn extends a broader decline: bilateral trade in 2025 totaled $3.65 billion, already down 14.9 percent from the previous year, according to the Ministry of Commerce.