Cambodia has secured eighth place in the DHL Trade Volume Growth Speed Rankings, emerging as the top performer among developing and underdeveloped countries in terms of annual trade volume growth.
The rankings were published in the ‘DHL Trade Atlas 2025,’ released last Friday. The ranking is based on the increase in trade volume over the five years from 2019 to 2024, with additional weightage given to the projected growth in trade volume between 2024 and 2029.
Cambodia recorded an average annual trade volume growth of 6 percent between 2019 and 2024. The Kingdom is expected to achieve a higher growth rate of 9 percent annually over the next five years.
Among ASEAN nations, Cambodia leads the list, followed by the Philippines (15), Indonesia (25), Vietnam (29), Myanmar (56), Malaysia (70), Singapore (78), Thailand (91), Brunei (125), and Laos (169).
African countries topped the list, as developing and underdeveloped nations tend to experience higher trade volume growth rates. Sudan secured the first position with an expected annual trade volume growth of 16 percent over the next five years, followed by Zimbabwe, Georgia (emerging economy), Madagascar, Guyana (emerging economy), Benin, and Gambia.
Major global trading nations ranked lower due to their slower trade growth rates. The United States ranked 108th, while China stood at 109th.
The report was published in collaboration with New York University Stern School of Business (NYU Stern) and was prepared by Steve A. Altman, Senior Research Scholar and Assistant Professor at NYU Stern, and Caroline R. Bastion.
Tobias Meyer, Chief Executive Officer of DHL Group, highlighted that the ASEAN region is expected to demonstrate strong growth in trade volumes in the coming years, alongside South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
“Predicting future trade policies and estimating the likelihood of new tariffs have never been more challenging. However, history demonstrates that global trade has maintained remarkable resilience in the face of various stress tests, including the 2008 financial crisis, the US-China trade conflict, the Covid-19 pandemic, and wars in Ukraine and Gaza,” Meyer said.
“While these events caused temporary trade disruptions, none resulted in a sustained decline in global trade volumes. This resilience stems from the fact that trade has historically been a transformative force, fostering prosperity and progress. It plays a crucial role in poverty reduction, enabling producers to focus on their strengths and scale their advantages.
“Trade provides consumers access to a broader array of affordable products, enriching lives in ways often taken for granted. Protectionism, on the other hand, carries significant costs, and countries that isolate themselves risk falling behind,” he added.
