Phnom Penh: Cambodia earned approximately US$3.61 billion from exports to member countries of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in the first four months of 2025, marking a 7.6 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to a report released by the Ministry of Commerce on Monday.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, during the same period, Cambodia imported goods worth US$9.31 billion from RCEP members-an 18.85 percent rise from US$6.83 billion in the first four months of 2024. Bilateral trade between Cambodia and RCEP member states totaled nearly US$13 billion, up 15.47 percent year-on-year. This figure accounted for 65.61 percent of Cambodia’s total international trade volume, which reached US$19.7 billion during the period.

Initiated by ASEAN, the RCEP is the world’s largest free trade agreement, comprising 15 countries, including all 10 ASEAN member states and five key Indo-Pacific partners: Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea. H.E. Penn Sovicheat, Secretary of State and spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, highlighted the RCEP’s impact on Cambodia’s trade performance.

‘With the implementation of the RCEP agreement, Cambodia is gaining substantial benefits from exports to member countries, which are becoming important drivers of regional growth,’ he said. ‘The agreement serves as a new engine for Cambodia’s long-term export expansion. It provides tariff reductions and improved market access, enabling the country to seize new export opportunities,’ he added.

Cambodia’s main export products include garments, footwear, machinery and electrical equipment, leather goods, fur products, cereals, rubber and rubber-based products, and furniture.