Phnom Penh, October 31, 2025 — At the CBRE Cambodia’s Industrial Outlook “Emerging Trends and Opportunities in APAC Context”, H.E. Chea Kok Hong, Secretariat Director of the Cambodia Coastal Master Plan of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, shared Cambodia’s industrial development strategy and competitiveness under global trade shifts. The event brought together leading local developers, investors, and policymakers—alongside SEZs, industrial parks, manufacturers, importers/exporters, banks, real estate and construction companies—making the discussion particularly insightful. 

Addressing the global trade environment, H.E. Chea Kok Hong underscored Cambodia’s improving trade stability following the U.S.–Cambodia Tariff Agreement (26 October 2025), which set reciprocal tariff caps at 0–19%, reducing uncertainty. “With clear U.S. tariff ceilings and sustained expansion in RCEP trade 9.5% year-on-year, Cambodia is evolving from a low-cost alternative into a reliable, regionally networked production base,” he added. This clarity adds momentum to Cambodia’s already favourable investment environment. 

Meanwhile, Cambodia’s GDP is projected to grow 5.8% in 2025, with total trade reaching US$54.7 billion in 2024 (+16.9% YoY). In the first nine months of 2025, exports totalled US$23.3 billion (+15% YoY), including US$11.2 billion in non-garment goods. Electronics and electrical products, furniture, and tyres each exceeded US$1 billion in export value (+30–60% YoY), reflecting a shift toward components and mid-complexity assembly. Industrial investment approvals reached US$7.8 billion across 546 projects (+47% YoY), including US$5.3 billion in manufacturing (68%), well above the 16% average annual increase recorded from 2021 to 2024, signalling strong momentum heading into 2025. 

He highlighted that green energy, electronic components, and automotive are priority sectors for Cambodia’s ongoing industrial development, backed by three national policy pillars driving Cambodia’s next growth phase: the Industrial Development Policy (2015–2025) for diversification and modernization; the Electronics & Automotive Components Roadmap (2022) for sub-sector targeting; and the Electric Vehicle Policy (2024–2030), which sets fiscal and regulatory measures to stimulate EV adoption and related manufacturing. 

Reflecting on regional lessons, he noted that Asia’s successful economies advanced by anchoring the right industrial clusters, aligning technical and vocational training with supply-chain needs, and delivering predictable, fast services. Cambodia, he said, is applying these principles by building supplier ecosystems around lead firms such as Minebea, Yazaki, and Hana, linking TVET programs to production stages, testing, and enhancing service speed through a credible one-stop window, bonded logistics options, and pre-arrival clearance systems.  

Introducing the Cambodia Coastal Master Plan, H.E. Chea Kok Hong explained that the framework coordinates land use, infrastructure, policy support, and investor services to ensure that industrial growth is matched by connectivity and institutional readiness. Its core mission is to attract investment, facilitate project implementation, and coordinate policies and resources for investors, providing one-stop support services. “We are focusing on land readiness, credible one-stop services, skills matching, and step-by-step supplier upgrading to give investors both predictability and performance.”  he stated. Complementing these measures, the Government is formulating the Integrated Industrial Initiative (III) – a government-led program designed to accelerate industrial upgrading, and welcome relocating factories from regional production hub, emphasizing its open investment policies, young and dynamic workforce, and fast-track One-Stop Service (OSS) support mechanism.  

H.E. Chea Kok Hong concluded: “Predictable services, skilled people, and trusted supply chains—that’s how we compete in Asia Pacific.”  

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For further inquiries, please contact:

SAREAM Leakena, PR and Promotion Officer, Coastal Master Plan Secretariat

Tel: 095 506 691
Email: leakena.saream@mpsez.gov.kh