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| An article highlighting Vietnam-Cambodia trade on the front page of SBM News__Photo: SBM News |
Trade has been a bright spot in the Vietnam-Cambodia relationship, experiencing impressive growth over the past more than a decade and expected to reach USD 20 billion.
Cambodia serves as a source of many raw materials for Vietnamese industry, particularly rubber. It is also a major consumer of Vietnamese products like iron and steel, construction materials, processed food and consumer goods.
Data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade's Asia-Africa Market Department revealed a strong upward trend. Two-way trade grew by an average of 18.5 percent annually between 2010 and 2015, and 17 percent per year between 2016 and 2020, reaching USD 5.31 billion in 2020 from USD 2.92 billion in 2016.
The year 2022 saw a significant jump of 11 percent to USD 10.57 billion in trade value. The positive momentum has carried into 2024, with the first five months recording a trade value of USD 4.6 billion, reflecting a 13.4 percent increase.
Vietnam's exports to Cambodia during the first half of 2024 were estimated at USD 2.5 billion, mainly consisting of iron and steel, apparel, and petrol and oil. However, this represented a 1.1 percent decrease compared to the same period last year.
Meanwhile, Vietnam's imports from Cambodia in the period surged by 38.4 percent to an estimated USD 2.9 billion, driven by cashew nut, rubber, fruits and vegetables.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Huy Tang said in 2024 and beyond, the two countries will continue to coordinate to realize existing agreements and memoranda of understanding, including the border trade and the 2023-2024 bilateral trade promotion agreements.
Trade experts believed that fostering a favorable and stable business environment is crucial to facilitate exports. They also advocated for increasing investment in research and development to enhance the quality and competitiveness of Vietnamese goods, and pursuing free trade agreements and economic accords with Cambodia as well.
Vietnamese businesses are encouraged to focus on producing high-quality and competitively priced products and services to attract Cambodian consumers. Building a broad and stable distribution network in Cambodia is also seen as a key step toward further success.-(VNA/VLLF)
