• Politics

PM Seeks More Agricultural Exports to UK  

• By Meng Seavmey
• October 4, 2023 7:30 PM

PHNOM PENH – Prime Minister Hun Manet has urged the UK to expand its imports beyond garment, footwear and textile goods and include agriculture products under its new tariff-free scheme. 

At an Oct. 4 meeting with British Ambassador Dominic Williams, both parties agreed that the UK-Cambodia relationship had deepened in all sectors, including defense, agriculture, trade and education.

In trade, Cambodia and the UK have been operating the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), replacing the Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP), since April.

The UK envoy also asked for a review of possible cooperation on green economy and renewable energy sectors, to which Hun Manet agreed. The PM hopes for further cooperation on trade and national defense, including training, joint exercises and ship docking.

Williams expressed on the Embassy Facebook his desire to further increase trade flows, strengthen military ties, promote people-to-people links through education and support Cambodia’s green growth through the British Investment Partnerships Programme.

“Ambassador Williams also raised the importance of democracy and human rights for Cambodia's international reputation,” the post said.

The UK is one of the main export markets for Cambodian products with two-way trade in 2022 recovering to its pre-pandemic levels of over $1 billion.

During the first eight months of 2023, trade reached nearly $590 million with Cambodian exports worth $527 million and UK exports of $61 million, according to the General Department of Customs and Excise.

On the same day, Hun Manet met Pakistani Ambassdor Zaheeruddin Babar Thaheem. The Ambassador invited the PM to visit Pakistan and asked that Cambodia establish an embassy in Pakistan. The Cambodian Ambassador to India acts as the country’s top envoy to Pakistan.

Hun Manet also agreed with the request.

Both sides are also committed to boost cooperation in agriculture, defense and especially trade which was reflected in a study on setting up a possible joint trade committee in March this year.