Building on a solid political relationship, the trade, investment, and business-matching activities between Viet Nam and Cambodia contribute to strengthening ties between the two economies and improving the living standards of the peoples of the two countries. Economic, trade, and investment cooperation is regarded as a bright spot and is considered a key area of cooperation by the senior leaders of the two countries. In 2025, two-way trade between Viet Nam and Cambodia reached a record 11.33 billion USD, and it continued its relatively strong growth momentum in the first eight months of 2026, reaching 8.67 billion USD, up 8.3% year on year. In terms of investment, Viet Nam currently has 223 investment projects in Cambodia, with total registered capital of nearly 3.4 billion USD.
Over the years, Vietnamese enterprises have established a presence in many important sectors, such as agriculture, particularly large-scale agriculture, finance and banking, telecommunications, aviation, processing, trade, and services. These enterprises have employed tens of thousands of workers, contributed hundreds of millions of USD to Cambodia’s state budget each year, and effectively carried out social welfare activities in their localities.
According to Oknha Leng Rithy, Chairman of the Viet Nam-Cambodia Business Association (VCBA), around two or three years ago, most Vietnamese enterprises invested in cultivation in Cambodia and then brought raw materials back to Viet Nam for processing. However, this trend has changed markedly over the past two or three years. To optimise costs, enhance competitiveness, and ensure the interests of all parties, Vietnamese enterprises are increasingly focusing on long-term cooperation with Cambodian partners, jointly contributing capital to build factories and process raw materials in Cambodia itself. This is also becoming the main direction for most Vietnamese enterprises today.
The strengthening of bilateral relations and expansion of extensive cooperation between Viet Nam and Cambodia demonstrate their strong determination to pursue economic integration and infrastructure connectivity in order to promote bilateral trade and increasingly close ties between the peoples of the two countries. Viet Nam has strengths in processing and manufacturing, agriculture, consumer goods production, services, logistics, and an increasingly dynamic business community, while Cambodia has advantages in agriculture, resources, its market, tourism, and an important geo-economic position in the region. These complementary strengths open broad space for cooperation between the two countries, not only in the exchange of goods but also in investment, production, processing, supply chain development, and market connectivity.
The two sides have agreed to continue promoting practical and effective cooperation in various fields and at all levels, including economic connectivity and transport infrastructure; sharing experience in new economic development based on technology and innovation; strengthening trade, economic, and security and defence cooperation; combating transnational crime; and cooperation in tourism, agriculture, education, healthcare, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), among others. Economic cooperation between the two countries is increasingly shifting from simple trade relations towards joint participation in value chains, creating increasingly interconnected production and business ecosystems.
Over the years, despite complex fluctuations in the global and regional economies, Viet Nam-Cambodia trade has maintained positive growth momentum. The 2025-2026 Bilateral Trade Promotion Agreement has been a driving force contributing to the continuous increase in bilateral trade in 2025 and 2026. The range of goods exported and imported between the two countries has become increasingly diverse, meeting the production and consumption needs of each market. Viet Nam and Cambodia are determined to further strengthen the links between their two economies in the spirit of leveraging their complementary strengths, while stepping up trade, investment, and tourism promotion activities, with the aim of soon raising two-way trade to 20 billion USD.
Against the backdrop of an unpredictable world situation, strategic connectivity is considered a valuable asset for the two countries. With a foundation of trusted political relations and the high complementarity of the two economies, Viet Nam–Cambodia economic, trade, and investment cooperation is expected to continue developing strongly and become a bright spot in bilateral relations.
