Phnom Penh:Cambodia was one of the top five traders of goods among least developed countries (LDCs) in the first half of 2026, according to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the WTO's Global Trade Outlook highlighted that the value of merchandise trade by LDC countries outperformed total world trade during this period. Preliminary estimates indicated that exports from LDCs increased by 25 percent compared to the previous year, while imports rose by 20 percent. In contrast, global two-way trade only grew by 15 percent over the same timeframe.
Among the top five LDC traders, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) recorded the highest export growth at 50 percent, followed by Uganda at 35 percent, Angola at 29 percent, Cambodia at 18 percent, and Bangladesh at 1 percent. In terms of imports, the DRC again led with a 47 percent increase, followed by Cambodia at 28 percent, Uganda at 26 percent, Angola at 15 percent, and Bangladesh at 13 percent.
The WTO identified key drivers for export growth, such as copper in the DRC, gold in Uganda, and fuels in Angola. Bangladesh's slower growth was attributed to global trade trends affecting its primary export, clothing products.
Although the WTO did not specify the primary factor for Cambodia's export growth, the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) noted a significant rise in non-garment manufacturing. AMRO chief economist Dong He stated at a news conference in Singapore that Cambodia's non-garment manufacturing exports grew by 37.3 percent in the first eight months of the year, a notable increase from the 16.8 percent growth seen in 2025.