By:
• Ou Sokmean

• 30, August 2024 , 9:50 AM

PHNOM PENH – Cambodia exported 100 tonnes of salt over the past two years with Japan and European states being main importers. They included Geographical Indication (GI) salt produced in Kampot and Kep provinces.

Known for its high-quality due to it being evaporated naturally under the sun in the coastal provinces, Kampot-Kep salt was recognized as GI in 2023. 

The Association of Geographical Indication Kampot-Kep Salt Producers has been actively seeking foreign markets since then.

Association president Bun Narin said that in the past two years, Cambodia exported 80 tonnes of salt, including about 30 tonnes of GI Kampot-Kep salt.

The salt that Cambodia exports to Europe are Fleu de Sel (salt flower), coarse salt and flake salt. Ground salt is exported to Japan. Narin said that Cambodian salt is now widely recognized in European markets.

“Our salt is very good quality, healthy. European values ​​our salt very much because our salt is a natural sea salt and they do not want factory-made mineral salt,” he said during a meeting between the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation and the SMEs sector on August 28.

According to Bun Narin, salt flowers fetch $8-9,000 per tonne from export and flakes salt earns $30,000 per tonne. Other kind of salt such as ground salt cost between $1,100 and $1,300 per tonne.

Cambodian salt producers are also gaining traction in China and Australia.

For 2023-2024, Cambodia’s salt production from the sea of ​​Kampot-Kep is about 130,000 tonnes, up almost 100 percent on 2022-2023 due to favorable weather. 

Narin said that if there was enough labor, production for 2023-2024 could potentially reach 200,000 tonnes or more, while domestic demand is about 100,000 tonnes.


Originally written in Khmer for ThmeyThmey, this article was translated by Torn Chanritheara for Cambodianess.