PHNOM PENH — Cambodia’s negotiating team led by Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol has pledged to defend the country’s interest in the upcoming talks with the United States over the U.S. tariff hike, the talks to also include non-tariff issues.

The 19-member delegation departed on May 10 for the three-day meeting taking place in Washington, D.C., on May 13 through 15. The two sides have already met virtually once in April and once early May. 

Chanthol, who heads the Ad Hoc inter-ministerial working group formed to negotiate trade relations with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, said that beside discussing tariff-rate reduction, the two sides will address other issues including U.S. businesses having more access to Cambodia’s market, increasing U.S. goods purchases, and protecting intellectual property rights. 

The government officials will also discuss the U.S. complying with source-of-origin norms for Cambodian goods exported to the United States—an issue on which the Cambodian government has already taken action, Chanthol added.

Regarding the United States’ willingness to discuss these issues, Chanthol said, if U.S. authorities did not want to talk, they would not have invited Cambodia’s representatives to Washington, Cambodia now being among 20 countries that have been invited for direct talk. “They have the will, we also have the will,” he said, to negotiate.

On April 3 (Cambodia time), Trump announced a 49 percent tariff increase on Cambodian goods. Cambodia issued an official response 41 hours later, requesting a delay in the implementation of the new tariffs, suggesting negotiations and announcing an immediate tariff reduction on 19 categories of U.S. products, lowering them from 35 percent to 5 percent as a gesture of goodwill.

Trump later halted for 90 days the tariff implementation, which were set to take effect on April 9, pending negotiations between the two countries, maintaining the 10 percent baseline rate. 

Chanthol pointed out that the trade imbalance of $12 billion cannot be solved by Cambodia buying the same amount as the U.S. does, the purchasing power between the countries not being the same. 

During previous talks, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer understood the matter, which is a good sign, he said.

Prime Minister Hun Manet has emphasized the importance of protecting national interest with utmost efforts, maintaining jobs and attracting more investments, Chanthol said.

While attracting foreign investments is important, finding export markets for Cambodian goods is as important, and the U.S. tariffs would affect this, he said, adding that that is the reason why the Cambodian government is taking action without delay.

“We negotiate to protect Cambodia’s interest,” he said. “It is not about we win and they lose. If we could buy more at reasonable prices, we would buy.” 

The Cambodian delegation includes Commerce Minister Cham Nimul, head of customs Kun Nhim, Foreign Affairs Secretary of State Eat Sophea, and officials from security and telecommunication institutions as well as the National Bank.

“We have prepared well for these talks,” Chanthol said.