AKP Phnom Penh, May 02, 2025 --

The Ad Hoc Cambodia–U.S. Bilateral Relations Coordination Working Group is set to travel to the United States in mid-May to engage in direct negotiations over the new U.S. tariff rates.

This morning, at the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), the Working Group led by H.E. SUN Chanthol, Deputy Prime Minister and First Vice Chairman of the CDC and H.E. Mrs. CHAM Nimul, Minister of Commerce, held via virtual conference a meeting with the United States Trade Representative (USTR), led by Ms. Sarah Ellerman, Assistant USTR for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

According to a press release of the Royal Government Spokesperson Unit issued following the virtual meeting, the discussion focused on the work progress and the preparation for the upcoming bilateral negotiations, which is due to take place on May 14-15, 2025 in Washington, D.C.

“The Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia, led by Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei HUN Manet, Prime Minister will continue to cooperate closely with the United States of America to achieve a mutually beneficial trade and investment relationship,” the press release underlined.

The negotiations follow the announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump on April 2 of new reciprocal tariffs on the country’s trading partners. Under this policy, a 49 percent tariff was initially imposed on imports from Cambodia.

However, on April 9, the U.S. government approved a 90-day temporary suspension of the full tariff, reducing it to 10 percent for countries—including Cambodia— that have officially sought to negotiate a solution with the U.S.

By Chea Vannak