Cambodia and China have agreed to accelerate the preparation of sanitary and phytosanitary protocols, along with other necessary procedures, to facilitate the export of additional Cambodian agricultural products to Chinese markets.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced the news in a statement outlining the outcomes of the 2nd conference on the import and export food safety cooperation mechanism for Belt and Road countries, held in Shanghai, China, on October 15.
Agriculture minister Dith Tina met with Sun Meijun, Chinese Minister of the General Administration of Customs, on the sidelines of the conference, as well as customs vice-minister Zhao Zenglian.
During the two meetings, he discussed strengthening cooperation under the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) framework between Cambodia and China, with the aim of speeding up access to Chinese markets. His efforts aimed to simplify export procedures, in line with the expectations of Cambodian farmers and the private sector.
Both sides agreed on three key points.
They agreed on the need to accelerate the development of sanitary and phytosanitary protocols to enable the export of products such as brown rice, pineapple, jackfruit, frozen durian, longan, meat, swiftlet nests and animal feed.
A joint working group framework will be established, to facilitate direct communication between the institutions from both countries to swiftly and effectively resolve any barriers that may arise.
The Chinese customs registration process will also be promoted, making it easier for products from small-scale farms that implement Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to gain access to the Chinese market.
Tina described the outcomes of the meetings as important steps in strengthening and expanding agricultural and trade cooperation and opening up greater export opportunities for Cambodian farmers, by making the process smoother and more efficient.
He urged Cambodian farmers and other private sector actors to continue implementing GAP and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in the processing, packaging, storage and transportation of their products, while emphasising the importance of complying with import regulations to enhance Cambodia’s agro-food market potential.
“The ministry would like to express gratitude to China’s General Administration of Customs for their excellent cooperation in implementing the procedures needed to increase Cambodia’s agricultural export opportunities in recent times,” he said.
Currently, Cambodian rice, broken rice, dried cassava chips, corn, bananas, mangoes, longan, pepper and fresh durians are permitted for export to China.
According to the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE), in the first 9 months of 2025, trade between Cambodia and China reached a total of $14.21 billion, an increase of 27.5% compared to the same period in 2024. China remains Cambodia’s largest trading partner.
Exports to China amounted to approximately $1.18 billion, a decline of 7.7%, while Chinese imports totalled $13.03 billion, an increase of 32%.
