AKP Phnom Penh, April 04, 2025 --

The Royal Government of Cambodia has announced an immediate tariff reduction of 19 categories of U.S. product imports and requested the U.S. side for negotiations regarding tariff implementation on Cambodian imports.

“In response to your recent announcement on April 2, 2025, imposing a 49 percent tariff on Cambodian products from April 9, 2025, Cambodia proposes to negotiate with Your Honorable's administration at the earliest convenient time and wishes to request that your esteemed government consider postponing the above-mentioned tariff implementation,” Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, wrote to U.S. President Donald J. Trump on April 4.

“I would like to inform Your Honorable President that the existing practice of Cambodia's maximum tariff rate tops at 35 percent. In expression of our good faith and in spirit of strengthening our bilateral trade relations, Cambodia is committed to promote U.S. based product imports with an immediate reduction of 19 product categories from our maximum 35 percent tariff bound rate to 5 percent applied tariff rate,” the Cambodian Premier underlined.

Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet reaffirmed Cambodia’s strong commitment to engaging in constructive and productive dialogue with the U.S. government to further deepen the bilateral trade, so that both nations and peoples can enjoy the tangible benefits from these significant trade relations.

At the same time, H.E. Mrs. Cham Nimul, Minister of Commerce of Cambodia, also sent a letter to Ambassador Jamieson Greer, U.S. Trade Representative on the same topic, adding that “Cambodia requests to the US. government to establish a negotiation mechanism and extend the deadline of the tariffs implementation to allow for further consultations with stakeholders and a thorough assessment of alternative approaches that uphold both U.S. economic interests and Cambodia's sustainable development.”

“On behalf of the Ministry of Commerce of the Royal Government of Cambodia, I would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the U.S. government for the continued support and excellent cooperation in all sectors for these 75 years of our diplomatic relations, which yields great benefits for the peoples of our countries. Cambodia deeply values its longstanding relationship with the United States of America, which has been built on mutual respect, shared interests, and constructive engagement over many decades, of which most of Cambodia exports to the U.S. are complimentary to the U.S. goods and industries,” she wrote.

By C. Nika