PHNOM PENH, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia saw a trade deficit of 22 percent in equivalent to 2.55 billion U.S. dollars in 2015, according to the Commerce Ministry's figures on Tuesday.
Total import and export volume was valued at 20.53 billion U.S. dollars last year, up 12.6 percent from the 18.23 billion U.S. dollars in a year earlier, the figures said.
Export surged by 16.7 percent to 8.99 billion U.S. dollars, while import rose by 9.6 percent to 11.54 billion U.S. dollars, leading the trade deficit of 2.55 billion U.S. dollars.
Independent economist Chan Sophal said the increase in trade volume reflected growing trade relations between Cambodia and its friendly countries.
"Cambodia needs to push for more exports in order to reduce trade deficit," he said.
Cambodia's main trading partners are the United States, European countries, China, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia.
Its key products for exports are garments and shoes, dry rubber, milled rice and cassava chips, while the country ships in raw materials for garments, petroleum, construction materials, vehicles, daily consuming products and pharmaceutical products. Enditem
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