By May Kunmakara
Thursday, 03 May 2012
Phnom Penh Post 
Photo by Heng Chivoan/Phnom Penh Post
A worker loads a truck with corn in Pailin province last year.
Export to Vietnam climbed more than 57 per cent year on year in the
first quarter of 2012 as farmers looked for alternative destinations for
products that went to Thailand last year.
The primarily
agricultural exports to Cambodia’s eastern neighbour were worth US$201.5
million, up from $127.7 million between January and March last year,
data from the Vietnam Trade Office showed.
A shrinkage in orders
from Thailand this year had sent the Kingdom’s farmers looking for new
markets, many of which were found in Vietnam, Chan Nora, Secretary of
State at the Ministry of Commerce, said yesterday.
“Our
farmers sold their exports to Vietnam at any cost. They cannot wait for
the products to spoil or be damaged,” he said, referring to delayed
orders from Thailand.
Thai restrictions on Cambodian products such as cassava were also reported this year.
Industry
insiders in Banteay Meanchey province said earlier this year half the
province’s cassava had gone unharvested after Thai authorities imposed a
ban on the crop, the Post reported in January.
Cambodia’s
main exports to Vietnam were seafood, corn, tobacco and rubber. Trade
with Thailand and the shift to Vietnam caused instability in the market
for Cambodians – something new trade deals with China were hoped to
remedy.
“Before long, our prices will be much more stable because
we are getting direct export access to China without passing through a
second country,” Chan Nora said.
“Now [the ministry] is try ing to overcome some requirements from China so we can export to them directly.”
Cambodia
and Vietnam will look to meet a $2 billion bilateral trade goal this
year, and Tran Tu, Vietnam’s trade attaché in Cambodia, said the two
countries were on track to meet that target.
“I strongly believe
the situation will be positive for the rest of the year,’’ Tran Tru
said. “The trade volume is always on the rise, and we can soon reach the
trade goal set by the two governments.”
Vietnam Trade Office
data shows bilateral trade between Cambodia and Vietnam rose 42.58 per
cent to $919.1 million during the first quarter, compared with $644.6
million during the corresponding period last year.
Imports from Vietnam dominated the relationship at about 78 per cent of bilateral trade, worth $717.6 million, data shows.
Cambodia’s main imports from Vietnam were iron, steel, plastic products and garments.
To contact the reporter on this story: May Kunmakara kunmakara.may@phnompenhpost.com
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