PHNOM PENH-Cambodia and China recorded over $15 billion in bilateral trade during the first eight months of 2026, marking a significant growth rate of more than 22 percent compared to the $12.6 billion registered during the same timeframe in 2025.
Data from the Ministry of Economy and Finance’s General Department of Customs and Excise indicates that total trade volume reached approximately $15.5 billion, reflecting a sustained positive trajectory in the economic partnership between both nations.
While overall commercial exchange expanded, the trade balance remains heavily skewed in favor of China. Cambodian exports to the Chinese market totaled more than $1.3 billion, representing an increase of over 23 percent year-over-year.
Conversely, Cambodian imports from China expanded by more than 22 percent to exceed $14 billion over the eight-month span. Despite this substantial trade deficit, the robust exchange continues to drive Cambodian economic growth, stimulate local job creation, and provide critical market access for the country’s agricultural sector.
The steady increase in goods exported to China aligns with the operational benefits of the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement and protocols established between both governments. Cambodia primarily supplies agricultural products and raw materials to China, including rice, fresh bananas, cassava, rubber, and fresh mangoes.
In return, China supplies Cambodia with key industrial inputs and manufactured products such as textiles, steel, motor vehicles, and spare parts.