American investors are optimistic that bilateral relations and trade cooperation between Cambodia and the US will continue to improve following the 3rd Cambodia–United States of America Public–Private Sector Dialogue, which brought together representatives from both governments and the private sector for discussions.
The event was held at the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) headquarters on October 23.
According to the CDC, it focused on several key topics, including discussions on the investment environment, American investors’ business operations in Cambodia and progress made since the previous two meetings.
In attendance were CDC first vice-chairman Sun Chanthol, Bridgette L. Walker, chargé d’affaires of the US ambassy in Cambodia and Casey Barnett, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia (AmCham Cambodia) as well as representatives of the US-ASEAN Business Council (US-ABC) and numerous participants from government institutions and the private sector.
“This dialogue reflects the Cambodian government’s commitment to supporting and maintaining mechanisms that facilitate investment operations in Cambodia, thereby strengthening private sector confidence,” said a CDC.
Chanthol expressed his gratitude to each of the participants — especially Americans who have invested and expanded their business operations in Cambodia. He noted that the US is Cambodia’s largest export destination.
American investors expressed strong optimism regarding the government’s responsiveness to challenges raised and the open exchange of ideas — particularly given the improvements made following previous discussions. The dialogue also reinforced investor confidence in continuing to do business in Cambodia with government support through the CDC and relevant ministries.
The US is Cambodia’s second-largest trading partner after China.
During the first nine months of 2025, bilateral trade between Cambodia and the US reached $9.57 billion, an increase of 22.6% over the same period in 2024. Exports to the US totalled $9 billion (up 22%), imports were $283.63 million (up 46.9%), according to the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE).
Ly Kunthai, president of the Federation of Cambodian Investors, told The Post that stronger cooperation between the government and the private sector will further boost bilateral trade. He noted that recently, the US government reduced its countervailing duties on Cambodian goods to 19%, which he believed will increase manufacturing orders from the US and attract more new factories to Cambodia.
CDC data showed that from January to September, the Cambodian Investment Board under the CDC approved a total of 546 investment projects; 214 of them in Special Economic Zones (SEZs).
This represented an increase of 231 projects or 73% compared to the same period in 2024. The total investment capital amounted to $7.8 billion, a rise of $2.5 billion, or 47%.
The top sources of investment were China: 52.96%, Cambodia: 30.15%, Singapore: 6.93% and Vietnam: 5.24%. Additional sources included the British Virgin Islands, UK, Cayman Islands, Samoa, Bermuda and the US.
