Cambodia-UAE Trade Surges to Nearly USD 50 Million in Early 2025

• Sommana Yan
• 15 August 2025
• Local News
• 1502 Views

In a promising development for economic relations, Cambodia and the United Arab Emirates have reported a significant rise in bilateral trade, reaching approximately USD 47 million in the first half of 2025. The announcement was made during the opening ceremony of the second promotional workshop on the benefits of the Cambodia-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on August 11, 2025.

Her Excellency Tekret Kamrong, Secretary of State for the Ministry of Commerce, shared details regarding the trade figures, revealing that exports from Cambodia totaled USD 36 million, while imports accounted for USD 11 million. Key exports included clothing, shoes, bags, natural rubber, and various other goods. Conversely, Cambodia’s imports from the UAE primarily consisted of minerals for fuel, plastic products, tobacco, synthetic rubber, and more.

The workshop emphasized the pivotal role of the Cambodia-UAE CEPA, which came into effect on January 31, 2024. This landmark agreement has been hailed as a significant achievement for both nations, facilitating enhanced trade relations and economic collaboration.

Thanks to the CEPA, Cambodian goods can now enter the UAE market with zero import duties on key items such as textiles, bicycles, solar panels, electronic components, electric vehicles, rubber (latex), rice, cassava, cashew nuts, pepper, coffee, cardamom, various vegetables, fruits, and processed foods.

In addition to goods, the agreement also enables Cambodian companies to offer a range of professional services. This includes business services, construction and engineering services, environmental services, and more, further enhancing economic ties and opportunities for collaboration between Cambodia and the UAE.

As both nations continue to explore the benefits of the CEPA, the outlook for future trade appears exceedingly bright, promising growth and mutual prosperity.

• Economic and finance