Cambodia Investment Review
Australia and Cambodia celebrated growing trade between the two countries, as Cambodian business Royal Trust Trading Co., Ltd. (RTT) officially launched its first shipment of nuts and dried fruit to Australia.
The deal was made possible with strong support from Australia through the Cambodia Australia Partnership for Resilient Economic Development (CAPRED) program. CAPRED supported RTT and other Cambodian agribusinesses with targeted export readiness and market linkage assistance.
The shipment was inaugurated by representatives from the Australian Embassy, the Ministry of Commerce, RTT and Khmer Enterprise. The event, held in Phnom Penh, underscored the growing Cambodia–Australia cooperation to boost trade and enhance the competitiveness of Cambodian exports.
Expanded Product Range and Increased Volume
RTT is exporting over 12 metric tonnes of nuts and dried fruit to Australia. The shipment includes cashew nuts, dried mangoes, dried jackfruit, banana and taro chips. A second shipment is already being planned, with an expanded product range and increased volume.
His Excellency Derek Yip, Ambassador of Australia to the Kingdom of Cambodia, said, ‘Australia is partnering with Cambodia and Cambodian businesses to boost trade competitiveness and break into new markets. These efforts will help support Cambodia’s ambitions to successfully graduate from Least Developed Country Status. They will also increase bilateral trade between our two nations. We are committed to deepening our economic partnership with Cambodia and facilitating Cambodia’s integration into regional and global value chains.’
His Excellency Samheng Bora, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Commerce said, ‘Collaborative efforts to boost the export of Cambodian-made products are vital to advancing our agro-processing sector, especially in today’s uncertain global trade environment. Thank you to the strong support of the Australian Government to make the export of Cambodian dried fruit to Australia possible. Along with the dedication of our government, private sector and other key stakeholders, I am confident that our economic resilience will continue to endure and strengthen.’
Growing Capability Of Local Enterprises To Meet Global Demand
Mr Chhin Sophal, Chairman of RTT, said, ‘We are grateful for Australia’s assistance, and the Ministry of Commerce’s support in making this achievement possible for my business. This shipment demonstrates the growing capability of local enterprises to meet global demand. We are confident that this is just the start, and that more Cambodian products will soon find their way onto Australian shelves and beyond.’
Bilateral trade between Cambodia and Australia reached USD 1.1 billion in 2024, over 70 per cent of which was comprised of Cambodian exports to Australia.
