Hanoi (VNA) – Favourable geography, convenient cross-border trade and Cambodian consumers’ strong preference for Vietnamese products, coupled with increasingly substantive and effective bilateral ties, are creating significant opportunities to expand Vietnam–Cambodia economic, trade and investment cooperation.
The assessment was made by Commercial Counsellor Do Viet Phuong, Head of the Vietnam Trade Office in Cambodia, in an interview with Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Phnom Penh on the occasion of the Spring Fair 2026 in Hanoi.
Held for the first time on a large scale in the capital city, the fair brought together around 3,000 booths representing enterprises, cooperatives, traditional craft villages and production and trading establishments across sectors such as agricultural products, processed foods, handicrafts, consumer goods and supporting industries. The diversity of products and professional display methods have helped bring local brands closer to both domestic and international consumers.
Through coordination efforts by the Vietnam Trade Office, Cambodia is among six countries participating with exhibition booths at the event. Showcasing strengths in agricultural products such as rice, cassava chips and cashew nuts, Cambodian firms have contributed distinctive displays, offering health-oriented products and meaningful Lunar New Year gifts to Vietnamese consumers.
During his State visit to Cambodia on February 6, Party General Secretary To Lam called on the business community to step up investment cooperation, particularly in building on-site agro-processing plants to reduce raw material transport costs and increase added value in production chains, thereby delivering tangible benefits to enterprises and people of both countries.
According to Phuong, Cambodia holds substantial potential for cooperation in agro-processing and exports, especially in key products such as rice, cashew nuts and rubber. In recent years, the country’s cultivation area and agricultural output have grown steadily, providing a stable raw material base for processing industries.
However, deep processing rates remain modest, with most agricultural products still exported in raw materials, resulting in limited added value. This presents opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises to invest in rice milling, cashew processing and technical rubber production, while helping to complete supply chains, he noted.
Each year, Cambodia exports more than 10 million tonnes of fresh agricultural products, mainly rice, cashew nuts, cassava chips and fruits. The Cambodian Government has prioritised attracting investment in processing industries to enhance export value, enabling stronger direct exports to major markets such as the EU, the US, the Middle East and Northeast Asia.
Phuong advised Vietnamese businesses to proactively explore cooperation, leveraging trade and investment to advance shared interests and further strengthen bilateral economic ties./.
