Cambodia and China have signed a new agreement to increase rice export quotas to China to 500,000 tons, a 25 percent increase from the previous quota of 400,000 tons.
“The Ministry of Commerce, through Green Trade, has signed a memorandum of understanding on rice trade with COFCO Corporation for 500,000 tons,” the Ministry of Commerce said in its annual report released in mid-December.
As China is a major market for Cambodian rice, the quota expansion is expected to boost Cambodian rice exports and strengthen Cambodia’s agricultural sector.
Minister of Commerce Cham Nimman said that the Ministry of Commerce, through Green Trade, has been continuing to negotiate with several countries in the region to expand the Cambodian rice market.
“The Ministry of Commerce has been promoting and opening up markets for rice exports through the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement,” she said.
The first quota agreed in August 2014 covered 100,000 tons of rice. This figure has been increasing steadily.
Ms. Im Rachana, Undersecretary of State and spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said China is an important market for Cambodian agricultural products.
“The purchase of our agricultural products by China and other friendly countries has made significant contributions to the development of Cambodia’s agriculture and has brought many benefits to our people, especially farmers,” she said in early December.
Cambodia exported 575,562 tons of rice in the first 11 months of 2024, earning a total revenue of $413.9 million, the Cambodian Rice Federation (CRF) said.
55 companies shipped rice to 67 countries and regions between January and November this year, adding that China remained one of the major buyers.
Cambodia exported 109,448 tons of rice to China during the period, earning $70 million.
Cambodia’s fragrant rice won the gold award for the best rice variety at the second China-ASEAN Long Grain Rice Taste Evaluation Program in China.
The CRF has set a target of exporting one million tons of rice by 2025, encouraging increased production and storage capacity, and improving rice quality standards to boost Cambodia’s rice exports on the international market.
