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- Cambodia
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The EU works closely with Cambodia under the framework of the EU-ASEAN Cooperation Agreement to ensure an effective environment for trade and investment relations.
Cambodia is a member of WTO since 2004 and, as a least developed country, benefits from the European Union's Everything But Arms scheme, which grants unilateral duty free, quota free access for all exports, except arms and ammunition.
In 2017, the EU entered into enhanced engagement under EBA with Myanmar, in view of assessing compliance with human rights and labour rights conventions. In August 2020, Cambodia's preferential access under the EBA scheme was partially withdrawn due to serious and systematic violations of the human rights principles enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. See Legal Act and Memo.
Trade picture
- In 2024, Cambodia ranked as the EU’s 62nd largest trading partner (accounting for 0.1% of the EU’s total trade in goods). The EU was Cambodia’s 4th largest trading partner (accounting for 9.6% of Cambodia's total trade in goods).
- Total trade in goods between the EU and Cambodia was worth €6.4 billion in 2024 (with a deficit for the EU of €4.6 billion). EU imports from Cambodia were mainly textiles, accounting for 70% of total imports. The main EU exports to Cambodia were raw hides and skins (35%), and machinery and appliances (11%).
- Trade in services added another €800 million in 2023 (with an EU surplus of €14 million).
- In 2023, the stock of EU foreign direct investment in Cambodia amounted to €1.1 billion, while the stock of Cambodia’s investment in the EU was €109 million.
The EU and Cambodia
As a Least Developed Country (LDC), Cambodia benefits from the most favourable regime available under the EU's Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP), namely the Everything But Arms (EBA) scheme.
The EU’s GSP regulation allows vulnerable developing countries to pay fewer or no duties on exports to the EU, giving them vital access to the EU market and contributing to their growth. The EBA scheme is one arm of the GSP, which grants duty-free and quota-free access to the EU for all products (except arms and ammunition) for the world's Least Developed Countries, as defined by the United Nations.
88% of Cambodia’s exports eligible for tariff reductions under EBA entered the EU at preferential rates in 2023. Around 75% of Cambodia’s exports enter the EU duty- and quota-free.
Cambodia and ASEAN
Cambodia is one of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and one of the three LDCs of the organisation. Cambodia is part of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
Trading with Cambodia
- Importing into the EU from Cambodia
- EU trade defence measures on imports from Cambodia
- Exporting from the EU to Cambodia
- Trade relations are part of the EU's overall political and economic relations with Cambodia
- Cambodia is a member of the World Trade Organization
Latest news
As of today, 12 August, some of Cambodia’s typical export products such as garments, footwear and travel goods are subject to the European Union’s customs duties.
The European Commission has decided to withdraw part of the tariff preferences granted to Cambodia under the European Union’s Everything But Arms’ (EBA) trade scheme.