PHNOM PENH — Cambodian enterprises must reinforce supply chain resilience, enhance operational logistics, and proactively adapt to global economic structural shifts to stay competitive, industry leaders stressed at a high-level business forum in Phnom Penh.
Organized with key industry stakeholders, the forum featured a dedicated discussion under the theme “Improving Transport and Logistics Efficiency for Competitiveness in Global Trade,” bringing together government officials, trade specialists, logistics operators, and business executives.
Navigating Global Trade Headwinds and Market Shifts
Addressing the gathering, Lim Socheat, Vice-President of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC), outlined the necessity for domestic firms to build operational agility amid geopolitical uncertainties and changing trade dynamics.
Key strategic pillars emphasized during the forum include:
- Supply-Chain Efficiency: Modernizing freight transport, border clearance systems, and warehousing infrastructure to lower export costs and speed up cross-border transit.
- Export Diversification: Expanding beyond traditional garment manufacturing by promoting high-value agricultural, agro-processed, and industrial goods in premium international markets and multinational retail networks.
- Leveraging Trade Agreements: Maximizing opportunities provided by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), bilateral Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), and preferential trade frameworks to gain broader international market access.
Upgrading Agricultural Value Chains and Logistics
The forum highlighted the increasing penetration of Cambodian agricultural and agro-processed products into global markets. Participants underscored that strengthening domestic processing standards, packaging quality, and cold-chain logistics is essential to capturing higher value additions before exporting.
Public and private sector representatives affirmed their joint commitment to streamline trade facilitation policies, advance digital trade platforms, and invest in multimodal transport corridors to solidify Cambodia’s position as an efficient trade and manufacturing hub in ASEAN.
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