The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Cambodian global shipments during 2018. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Cambodia.

1. Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: US$8.4 billion (44.4% of total exports)
2. Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $3.8 billion (20.1%)
3. Footwear: $2 billion (10.6%)
4. Leather/animal gut articles: $862.9 million (4.5%)
5. Electrical machinery, equipment: $514.1 million (2.7%)
6. Vehicles: $471.2 million (2.5%)
7. Cereals: $403.6 million (2.1%)
8. Furskins, artificial fur: $282.8 million (1.5%)
9. Plastics, plastic articles: $241.7 million (1.3%)
10. Vegetables: $218.3 million (1.1%)

Cambodia’s top 10 exports are concentrated, accounting for 90.8% of the overall value of its global shipments.

Leather and animal gut articles were the fastest-growing among the top 10 export categories, up by 93% since 2017.

In second place for improving export sales was plastics and plastic articles via a 49.4% improvement.

led by rice and corn, Cambodia’s shipments of cereals posted the third-fastest gain in value up by 16%.

The leading decliner among the top 10 Cambodia export categories was vegetables via a -64.1% drop year over year.

At the more granular four-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, knitted or crocheted jerseys and pullovers represent Cambodia’s most valuable exported products at 12.3% of the country’s total. In second place was knitted or crocheted women’s clothing (8.6%) trailed by unknitted and non-crocheted women’s clothing (7.8%), knitted or crocheted t-shirts and vests (6%), unknitted and non-crocheted men’s suits and trousers (4.8%), cases, handbags and wallets (4.4%), leather footwear (4.2%) then textile footwear (3.5%).

The following types of Cambodian product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.

In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.

1. Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: US$8.2 billion (Up by 10.6% since 2017)
2. Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $3.7 billion (Up by 12.6%)
3. Footwear: $1.9 billion (Up by 13.5%)
4. Leather/animal gut articles: $825.3 million (Up by 98.8%)
5. Cereals: $394.1 million (Up by 18.9%)
6. Vegetables: $208.7 million (Down by -65.4%)
7. Copper: $154.2 million (Up by 725.2%)
8. Wood: $42.1 million (Down by -82.5%)
9. Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefabricated buildings: $31 million (Reversing a -$3.2 million deficit)
10. Miscellaneous textiles, worn clothing: $28.9 million (Down by -4.6%)

Cambodia has highly positive net exports in the international trade of apparel. In turn, these cashflows indicate Cambodia’s strong competitive advantages under the clothing and accessories product categories.

Overall, Cambodia experienced an estimated -$4.9 billion trade deficit for 2018. That amount of red ink represents a 64.8% expansion from Cambodia’s -$3 billion deficit one year earlier.

Below are exports from Cambodia that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Cambodia’s goods trail Cambodian importer spending on foreign products.

1. Gems, precious metals: -US$5.7 billion (Up by 115.1% since 2017)
2. Knit or crochet fabric: -$2.3 billion (Down by -0.5%)
3. Mineral fuels including oil: -$2.2 billion (Up by 9.6%)
4. Machinery including computers: -$1.4 billion (Up by 24%)
5. Vehicles: -$1 billion (Up by 16%)
6. Cotton: -$715.4 million (Up by 0.7%)
7. Electrical machinery, equipment: -$655.4 million (Up by 0.1%)
8. Beverages, spirits, vinegar: -$597.9 million (Up by 25.2%)
9. Manmade filaments: -$390.6 million (Up by 9.3%)
10. Tobacco, manufactured substitutes: -$332.3 million (Down by -4.7%)

Cambodia has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits under the gems and precious metals category, particularly for gold and, to a much lesser extent, unset diamonds.

Cambodian Export Companies

Not one Cambodian corporation ranks among companies showcased on the Forbes Global 2000.

Wikipedia lists exports-related companies from Cambodia. Selected examples are shown below:

• Cambrew Brewery (alcoholic beverages)
• Comin Khmere (construction & materials)
• Kampot Cement (construction resources)
• Kingdom Breweries (alcoholic beverages)
• Sokimex (oil, gas)
• The Royal Group (conglomerate)