Phnom Penh (FN), Apr. 7 – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet clarified the tariff rate imposed by the United States on Cambodian goods, speaking on Monday (Apr. 7) at the inauguration of the USD 37 million Morodok Techo flyover in Phnom Penh.

Samdech Thipadei clarified, "For those claiming to understand economics as well as [Sam Rainsy], the 97 percent figure does not represent Cambodia’s tariff on American goods. It refers to the trade deficit or imbalance between Cambodia and the US. The real question is: What tariff does Cambodia actually impose on US goods? When Cambodia joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2004, we committed to keeping tariffs on goods from any country, including the US, below 35 percent. Currently, Cambodian goods exported to the US face an average tariff of around 11 percent.”

Samdech Thipadei added, “It is simply untrue that Cambodia imposes tariffs on 97 per cent of American goods. Tariffs are applied by both sides—just as we impose tariffs on American goods, the US also imposes tariffs on Cambodian goods. Our tariffs cover over 1,868 tariff lines (with each tariff line potentially covering multiple products), including 210 tariff lines where American goods are imported duty-free. The highest tariff rate Cambodia applies to US goods is 35 per cent, while the average rate is only 29.4 per cent—not 97 percent.”

Samdech Thipadei also mentioned that regarding the US tariffs, Cambodia has been carefully considering the issue for over two months. The Economic and Financial Policy Committee has been evaluating various scenarios to assess the potential impact of the US tariff rate, awaiting clarity on whether the US would impose tariffs on Cambodia or just its major economic partners. However, on 2 April 2025, followed by an announcement on the morning of 3 April 2025, the US imposed tariffs on nearly 200 countries, including Cambodia. As a result, the Royal Government, in collaboration with the private sector, urgently convened to formulate a response.

Regarding negotiations on this tariff issue with the US, Samdech Thipadei underlined that the first step would be to immediately reduce 19 tariffs, covering approximately 85 US goods, from 35 per cent to 5 per cent. This would be the first phase of action. For the second phase, once the US provides the green light, a high-level Cambodian delegation will immediately travel to the US to initiate direct negotiations.

Samdech Thipadei further stated, “I would like to inform all my fellow citizens that just because I don’t post everything on Facebook, it doesn’t mean I haven’t taken action. For 41 hours, or perhaps 37 hours, we carefully deliberated on both steps 1 and 2. We have already set up a working group for step 2, led by Sun Chanthol and Cham Nimul, and they are prepared to travel immediately for negotiations should the US give the green light.”

In response to comments from politicians urging the prime minister to attend the talks in person, he continued, “If President Donald Trump participates in these tariff negotiations, then I will engage directly with that counterpart.”
=FRESH NEWS