BUSINESS
• 2 hours ago• Lim_Rothanaksambath
Cambodia-France Partnership Strengthens as Bilateral Trade Rises
PHNOM PENH, July 13, 2026 – France and Cambodia have deepened their economic partnership following a two-day official visit by French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness Nicolas Forissier, as bilateral trade continues to rise .
Trade between the two nations reached US$568 million in 2025, up 11.7 percent from 2024, with Cambodian exports to France growing 12.5 percent to US$447 million . In the first five months of 2026, bilateral trade increased another 15.1 percent year-on-year .
Photo Credit: Ambassade de France au Cambodge
During his July 9-10 visit, Forissier held strategic meetings with Commerce Minister Cham Nimul, Mines and Energy Minister Keo Rottanak, and Health Minister Chheang Ra, discussing trade diversification, energy transition, sustainable infrastructure, and healthcare development . French companies, now numbering over 200 in Cambodia, play key roles in transport, energy, finance, health, tourism, and construction .
Key investment projects under discussion include an 800-megawatt hydropower project worth approximately US$1.2 billion and a waste-to-energy initiative in Phnom Penh, currently under feasibility study by French firms . Forissier also witnessed the signing of a service agreement between Cambodia's WorldBridge Group and France's SEMMARIS for a feasibility study on a modern international agro-food wholesale market in Phnom Penh .
Forissier confirmed that French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the 20th Francophonie Summit in Phnom Penh on November 15-16, 2026, in person . A third Cambodia-France Business Forum is planned for November to further expand trade and investment ties .
Reported by The Khmer Daily Network
Trade between the two nations reached US$568 million in 2025, up 11.7 percent from 2024, with Cambodian exports to France growing 12.5 percent to US$447 million . In the first five months of 2026, bilateral trade increased another 15.1 percent year-on-year .
Photo Credit: Ambassade de France au CambodgeDuring his July 9-10 visit, Forissier held strategic meetings with Commerce Minister Cham Nimul, Mines and Energy Minister Keo Rottanak, and Health Minister Chheang Ra, discussing trade diversification, energy transition, sustainable infrastructure, and healthcare development . French companies, now numbering over 200 in Cambodia, play key roles in transport, energy, finance, health, tourism, and construction .
Key investment projects under discussion include an 800-megawatt hydropower project worth approximately US$1.2 billion and a waste-to-energy initiative in Phnom Penh, currently under feasibility study by French firms . Forissier also witnessed the signing of a service agreement between Cambodia's WorldBridge Group and France's SEMMARIS for a feasibility study on a modern international agro-food wholesale market in Phnom Penh .
Forissier confirmed that French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the 20th Francophonie Summit in Phnom Penh on November 15-16, 2026, in person . A third Cambodia-France Business Forum is planned for November to further expand trade and investment ties .
Reported by The Khmer Daily Network
