Phnom Penh (FN), Jul. 29 – Sok Sopheak, secretary of state at the Ministry of Commerce, on Tuesday said that after Cambodia signed the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China, 95 percent of Cambodia's 340 export items will be exempted from tariff.

Sopheak spoke at a press conference, held at the Council of Ministers on Tuesday, on the results of the FTA talks.

"Among the 340 commodities in the Cambodia-China FTA, 95 percent of them will be on tariff-free list,” Sopheak said.

Most of the products are in agriculture and agro-processing, which include pepper, chillies, pineapples, vegetables, fruit, fish, meat, grain, seafood and a variety of canned products, according to Sok Sopheak.

He said the commodities, which are still taxed, are rice, rubber, tobacco, sugar, powders and paper products.

Sopheak, also head of Cambodia’s negotiating team, said that both parties have agreed on technical aspects and legal framework and that the agreement will be signed this year and effective in the beginning of next year.

Prime Minister Hun Sen is scheduled to be in Beijing on August 12 to sign a free trade agreement with his Chinese counterpart.

FTA with China is Cambodia’s first bilateral trade agreement.
=FRESH NEWS