The Royal Government of Cambodia has received a positive response from the United States regarding its request to initiate negotiations on recent U.S. tariff hikes, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Commerce on April 10, 2025.
The upcoming talks will be conducted between an Ad Hoc interministerial-institutional negotiation task force—led by the First Vice Chairman of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC)—and the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
In the statement, the Ministry of Commerce said:
“The Royal Government of Cambodia has received a positive response from the U.S. following our official request for negotiation to achieve a mutual solution. This request was formally conveyed through letters from Prime Minister Hun Manet and Minister of Commerce Cham Nimul, both dated April 4, 2025, expressing Cambodia’s good faith and willingness to engage in a constructive process.”
Cambodia’s proposal included an immediate reduction of tariffs from 35% to 5% on 19 categories of U.S. goods imported into the Kingdom, demonstrating its commitment to reaching a balanced agreement.
In a notable development, on April 9, 2025, U.S. President Donald J. Trump authorised a 90-day temporary suspension of the reciprocal tariff rate. During this window, the tariff has been reduced to 10% for all countries that have officially requested negotiations—including Cambodia. This marks a significant drop from the previously announced 49% tariff that would have affected Cambodian exports.
The initiation of talks signals a potential easing of trade tensions and opens a path for a mutually beneficial agreement that supports bilateral trade and economic cooperation between Cambodia and the United States.
