PHNOM PENH: The Kingdom of Cambodia is now able to directly export its pepper to the Chinese market, the Chinese Embassy in Cambodia said this morning.

The direct shipment is made possible after the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) approved the list of 28 registered pepper farms and seven packaging factories.

Cambodia's pepper has completed all export procedures and is allowed to be shipped to China, the same source underlined.

Pepper is the first Cambodian agricultural product to be allowed for direct shipment to China in 2023 and the first ever spice to be authorized for export to the Chinese market.

Since the beginning of 2022, the Chinese side has completed the risk assessment of Cambodian Pra fish, sweet corn, and longan.

To date, three Cambodian fruits – banana, mango, and longan – can be shipped directly to China.

Cambodia exported more than 2.4 million tonnes of its agricultural products worth US$1.942 million to the Chinese market from 2019 to the first half of 2022.

Cambodian major agricultural products exported to China include fresh bananas, milled rice, dried cassava chips, cassava flour, mango jam, rubber latex, fresh mangoes, processed cashew nuts, and cocoa powder.