by FlagPictures.org

Located on the Indochina peninsula in southeastern Asia, the Kingdom of Cambodia shipped US$26.7 billion worth of exported products around the globe in 2024.

That dollar amount results from a 50.5% acceleration from $17.7 billion five years earlier in 2020.

Year over year, the overall value of Cambodian exports advanced by 12.2% upturn compared to $23.8 billion worth of international sales for 2023.

Based on the average exchange rate for 2024, the Cambodian riel appreciated by 7.3% against the US dollar since 2020 and strengthened by 4.9% from 2023 to 2024. The stronger Cambodian currency in 2024 made Cambodia’s exports paid for in weaker US dollars relatively more expensive for international buyers starting from American currency.

The latest available country-specific data shows that 87.3% of products exported from Cambodia was bought by importers in: United States of America (37.2% of the Cambodian total), Vietnam (13.6%), mainland China (6.6%), Japan (5.3%), Canada (4.2%), Spain (3.9%), United Kingdom (3.6%), Germany (3.4%), Thailand (3.2%), Netherlands (3%), Australia (1.8%) and France (1.5%).

From a continental perspective, 42.2% of Cambodia’s exports by value was delivered to North American countries while 34.4% was sold to importers in Asia. Cambodia shipped another 20.3% worth of goods to Europe.

Smaller percentages went to Oceania (1.9%) mostly Australia and New Zealand, Latin America (0.7%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Africa (0.3%).

Given Cambodia’s population of 17.2 million people, its total $26.7 billion in 2024 exports translates to roughly $1,550 for every resident in the southeastern Asian country. That dollar metric exceeds the average $1,400 per capita one year earlier during 2023.

By value, Cambodia’s top 10 exported product categories generated 80.9% of the overall value of its global shipments.

Rubber, including both as materials or items made from rubber articles, was the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 58.6% from 2023 to 2024.

In second place for improving export sales was unknitted or non-crocheted clothing and accessories via a 31.9% advance.

Cambodia’s shipments of furniture, bedding, lighting, signs and prefabricated buildings posted the third-fastest gain in value, up by 31.5%.

The leading decliner among Cambodia’s top 10 export categories was electrical machinery and equipment, pulled down by a -39.9% year-over-year drop.

The above information is presented at the two-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level.

Drilling down from the more granular four-digit HTS code perspective, cases, handbags and wallets represent Cambodia’s most valuable exported good generating 7.3% of total Cambodian export sales.

In second place was rice (7.1%) trailed by knitted or crocheted jerseys and pullovers (6.9%), unknitted and non-crocheted women’s clothing (4.9%), knitted or crocheted women’s clothing (4.7%), new rubber tires (3.3%), solar power diodes and semi-conductors (3.1%), knitted or crocheted t-shirts and vests (2.8%), manioc roots, arrowroot and sweet potatoes (2.6%), then leather footwear (2.5%).

The following types of Cambodian product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.

In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.

Cambodia incurred an overall -US$2.05 billion trade deficit in 2024. That amount of red ink represents a 223.9% expansion from Cambodia’s -$631.7 million deficit one year earlier for 2023.

Below are exports from Cambodia that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Cambodia’s goods trail Cambodian importer spending on foreign products.

Not one Cambodian corporation ranks among companies showcased on the Forbes Global 2000.

Wikipedia lists exports-related companies from Cambodia. Selected examples are shown below.

In macroeconomic terms, Cambodia’s total exported goods represent 19% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2024 ($140.5 billion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That 19% for exports to overall GDP in PPP for 2024 compares to 18.1% for 2023. Those percentages suggest a relatively increasing reliance on products sold on international markets for Cambodia’s total economic performance, albeit based on a relatively short timeframe.

Another key indicator of a country’s economic performance is its unemployment rate. Cambodia’s unemployment rate averaged 0.27% in 2024, down from an average 0.23% for 2023 according to Trading Economics statistics.

Cambodia’s capital city is Phnom Penh, nicknamed the “Pearl of Asia” and “The Charming City”.

See also China’s Top 10 Imports, Japan’s Top Trading Partners, Canada’s Top Trading Partners, Vietnam’s Top 10 Exports and Thailand’s Top Trading Partners

Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles. Accessed on June 27, 2025

Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on June 27, 2025

International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on June 27, 2025

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on June 27, 2025

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on June 27, 2025

Wikipedia, Cambodia. Accessed on June 27, 2025

Wikipedia, Gross domestic product. Accessed on June 27, 2025

Wikipedia, List of Companies of Cambodia. Accessed on June 27, 2025

Wikipedia, Purchasing power parity. Accessed on June 27, 2025