CDC first vice-president Sun Chanthol speaks to the media before departing for the US on May 10. CDC
Despite ongoing uncertainties regarding the upcoming negotiations of the “reciprocal” tariffs placed on Cambodian goods by the US, bilateral trade between the two nations continues to grow by over 22%.
According to the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE), from January to April, bilateral trade between them reached nearly $3.3 billion, an increase of 22.6% over the same period last year. Of the figure, Cambodia exported goods worth $3.2 billion to the US, up 22.3%, US imports were valued at $97.8 million, a 34.8% increase.
Cambodia recorded a trade surplus of approximately $3.1 billion with the US in the first four months of 2025, compared to around $2.55 billion in the same period in 2024.
The trade imbalance was reportedly the basis for the “reciprocal tariffs” of 49% imposed on all Cambodian goods by US President Donald Trump on April 3. However, just before they were implemented, Trump ordered a 90-day delay, ostensibly to allow for negotiations.
To address the issue, Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol, first vice-president of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) and chair of the Cambodia-U.S. Bilateral Trade and Investment Working Group, led a delegation to the US on May 10. Negotiations will take place in Washington, DC from May 13-15.
The in-person meetings follow two prior virtual meetings via Zoom with the US Trade Representative (USTR) — one on April 16 and another on May 2 — with Sarah Ellerman, USTR deputy assistant for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
Chanthol has stated that the Cambodian government is strongly committed to strengthening procedures to prevent and suppress origin fraud and to promote transparent implementation of rules of origin for exports to the US. This includes the issuance of inter-ministerial announcements between the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Commerce.
“Cambodia is fully prepared for the bilateral trade agreement negotiations and remains committed to constructive and productive discussions with the US, aiming to build a fair and balanced relationship that promotes mutual benefits,” he said.
Two days after the US announced the new tariffs, Prime Minister Hun Manet sent an official letter to Trump, expressing Cambodia's commitment to increasing U.S. imports. The letter also included a pledge to immediately reduce tariffs on 19 types of goods from a bound rate of up to 35% to an applied rate of 5%, along with a commitment to engage in constructive dialogue with the US government.
Economist Hong Vanak from the Royal Academy of Cambodia expressed optimism that bilateral trade will continue to grow and that the tariff negotiations will yield positive results. He noted that the US is currently Cambodia's largest export market, primarily for textiles, but also for car tyres and other goods.
He added that some US companies are already operating in Cambodia.
“I believe that diplomatic relations and the efforts of the Cambodian government will help the country gain more tariff preferences from the US and that bilateral trade volume will continue to increase,” he told The Post.
According to the GDCE, Cambodia-US trade volume reached $10.18 billion in 2024, up 11.2%, with Cambodian exports to the US totalling $9.9 billion (up 11.4%) and US imports valued at $264.14 million.
