Thailand is Cambodia’s fourth-largest trading partner, with trade totaling $3.169 billion in 2023. Cambodia faces a trade deficit, exporting $645.5 million while importing $2.523 billion, primarily agricultural goods.
Key Points
- Thailand is Cambodia’s fourth-largest trading partner, with total trade from January to September 2023 reaching $3.169 billion, a 12.4% increase from the previous year. Exports totaled $645.5 million (down 1%), while imports hit $2.523 billion (up 16.4%), resulting in a trade deficit of $1.878 billion.
- In September 2023, bilateral trade was valued at $381.68 million, up 37.73% year-on-year. Exports rose 55.9% to $74 million, while imports increased by 34% to $307.68 million.
- Key exports from Cambodia to Thailand include mangoes, cassava, corn, pepper, and beans, whereas imports consist of construction materials, electrical equipment, and agricultural machinery. Seasonal challenges arise for farmers due to tightened Thai import restrictions.
Thailand ranks as Cambodia’s fourth-largest trading partner, trailing only behind China, the United States, and Vietnam, as reported by the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE). Between January and September of the current year, the bilateral trade between the two nations amounted to $3.169 billion, reflecting a 12.4% increase compared to the same timeframe in 2023.
Analyzing trade specifics, Cambodia exported goods worth $645.5 million to Thailand, which represents a slight decline of 1%. Conversely, imports from Thailand surged to $2.523 billion, marking a significant increase of 16.4%. This imbalance resulted in a trade deficit for Cambodia, which rose from $1.515 billion in the previous year to $1.878 billion in the current period.
Focusing on September alone, the trade volume between the two countries reached $381.68 million, a remarkable increase of 37.73% from September 2023. During this month, Cambodian exports to Thailand dramatically rose by 55.9% to $74 million, while imports grew by 34% to $307.68 million.
Kim Huot, the director of the Battambang provincial Department of Commerce, emphasized the continued smooth flow of goods across the Cambodia-Thailand border. Key Cambodian exports to Thailand include agricultural products such as mangoes, cassava, corn, pepper, and beans. Conversely, imports from Thailand consist of construction materials, electrical equipment, agricultural machinery, food, and beverages.
However, challenges remain, particularly for agricultural exporters during the harvest seasons, as Thai authorities occasionally impose stricter import rules to regulate their domestic markets and stabilize prices. Despite these challenges, Huot noted that the exchange of goods has largely remained consistent with previous years.
