CDC first vice-president Sun Chanthol (far right) meets with Canadian trade envoy Sara Wilshaw via video conference (Zoom) from Tokyo, Japan. CDC
Sun Chanthol, Deputy Prime Minister and first vice-president of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), has extolled the Kingdom’s attractive investment climate to a high-level delegation from Canada’s Ministry of International Trade.
He spoke to the delegation – led by Sara Wilshaw, senior assistant deputy minister of International Trade and Canada’s Chief Trade Commissioner – via Zoom from Tokyo, Japan, where he is currently accompanying Prime Minister Hun Manet on an official visit.
During the call, he described Cambodia as a highly attractive destination for investors from all over the world.
He explained that the factors driving and attracting investment in Cambodia include peace and political stability, macroeconomic stability, a young labour force, strong government support for private sector development, flexible and investor-friendly investment laws, multimodal transport infrastructure, a growing logistics sector and expanding port facilities.
Chanthol noted that these elements each enhance connectivity both regionally and globally.
“With its advantageous geographical location and as a source of clean energy, we expect Cambodia to become a regional logistics hub in the future,” he said.
The Canadian delegation expressed strong interest in Cambodia’s socio-economic development and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation — particularly in terms of promoting Canadian direct investment.
Canada’s commitment to Cambodia and the entire ASEAN region was further underscored by the recent upgrade of its diplomatic office in Phnom Penh to a full embassy in March.
According to the CDC, the Canadian delegation’s visit is part of the 2025 Team Canada Trade Mission (TCTM), taking place in Cambodia and Thailand from May 28–30, 2025. The mission is a key initiative under Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy and Trade Diversification Strategy, which aims to enhance economic cooperation through exploring investment environments, trade opportunities, supply chains and fostering long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships in key sectors.
“This visit follows a mission led by Chanthol to promote investment in the US and Canada, which took place from September 22 to October 3, 2024,” noted a CDC statement.
According to Canadian government statistics, bilateral merchandise trade between Canada and Cambodia reached $2.4 billion in 2024, with Canada ranked as the fourth largest export market for the Kingdom’s garments and textile products. Canadian imports were worth $33.5 million, while Cambodian exports exceeded $2.3 billion. Additionally, Canadaian foreign direct investment amounted to approximately $2.9 billion.
