Bilateral trade between Cambodia and Canada is expected to grow further from 2025, as the Canadian government plans to send a business mission to Cambodia next year to explore opportunities for enhancing trade cooperation with the Kingdom.

In a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sok Chenda Sophea at ministry headquarters on November 13, David Verbiwski, Chargé d'Affaires of the Office of the Canadian embassy in Phnom Penh, highlighted the recent advancements in bilateral relations between the two countries.

He said these include Canada’s decision to elevate its embassy office to a full embassy, following productive discussions between Prime Minister Hun Manet and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Vientiane, Laos in October.

Verbiwski also noted that, alongside the upgrade, Canada plans to dispatch a Team Canada Trade Mission (TCTM) to Cambodia in 2025 to explore trade promotion opportunities.

Chenda Sophea welcomed the initiative, stating that the mission would mark another milestone in relations and create more favourable conditions for strengthening cooperation between the two countries. He assured Verbiwski of the ministry’s full support in this process.

According to the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE), from January to October, Cambodia-Canada trade totaled $959.82 million, marking a 26.9% increase compared to the same period in 2023. Of this, Cambodia's exports were valued at $911.78 million, up by 29.8%, while imports from Canada reached $48.04 million, a decrease of 10.2%.

Canada is Cambodia’s sixth-largest trading partner, following China, the US, Vietnam, Thailand and Japan.

Lim Heng, vice-president of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC), told The Post last week that the increase in export revenue to international markets over the past year was partly driven by a rise in garment exports to Canada.

He said the easing of Covid-19 concerns has boosted travel, creating greater demand for garments, footwear and travel goods (GFT) – products Cambodia is known for producing in large volumes each year.

Heng added that, to strengthen diplomatic and trade relations, the chamber recently opened a representative office in Toronto, Canada, which promotes Cambodian products to Canadian customers and offers information to attract Canadian investors.

“Cambodia’s export earnings will likely continue to grow as the country exports not only garments, but also agricultural products and other components to Canada,” he said.

He noted that Cambodia currently benefits from Canadian duty-free privileges for certain goods.

According to Heng, the majority of the country’s exports to Canada include garments, travel goods, footwear, tyres and electronic components, while imports from Canada primarily consist of electronics, medical devices and vehicles.