Cambodia’s first-half goods exports reached $17.36 billion

Exports added about $2.63 billion year on year

Cambodia exported $14.726 billion of goods in the first six months of 2025. The comparable 2026 figure was $17.357 billion, an increase of roughly $2.63 billion, or 18%.

Total merchandise trade reached $38.220 billion, 23% above the same period a year earlier. June alone accounted for $3.071 billion of exports, up 13% from June 2025.

For a company assessing Cambodia as a production or export base, the national numbers point to a larger flow of cross-border goods. They are not a substitute for product-level research: apparel, electrical equipment, agricultural goods and other categories can have very different demand patterns and destination markets.

For practical context, see Cambodia market and country comparisons. This development also connects with Siem Reap airport traffic rises as old-airport plan emerges.

The US led exports while China dominated total trade

The United States was Cambodia’s largest export destination in the first half, taking $7.173 billion of goods, up 30% year on year. That represented roughly 41% of the country’s merchandise exports during the period.

Viet Nam ranked second as an export market at $2.521 billion, followed by China at $943 million. China was nevertheless Cambodia’s largest partner when both directions of trade are counted, with bilateral merchandise trade of $11.637 billion; Cambodia imported $10.694 billion of goods from China.

The difference matters when comparing market exposure. The biggest customer for Cambodian exports is not necessarily the country with the largest overall trade relationship.

Imports grew faster and the goods deficit widened

Cambodia imported $20.863 billion of merchandise in the first six months of 2026, compared with $16.281 billion a year earlier. The 28% increase was substantially faster than export growth.

The resulting merchandise trade deficit widened to $3.506 billion from $1.556 billion in the first half of 2025. That balance is simply exports minus imports of goods; it is not a measure of corporate profit, investment flows or the economy’s overall performance.

For business planning, the half-year report is most useful as a map of scale and trading relationships. A decision on manufacturing, sourcing or hiring still needs product-specific evidence on input costs, target markets and the rules affecting access to those markets.