Cambodia sees trade deficit of 1.73 bln USD in 2011

[PHNOM PENH POST]

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 25 -- Cambodia recorded a trade deficit equivalent to 1.73 billion U.S. dollars in 2011, according to the statistics of the Commerce Ministry on Wednesday.

It showed that the country's total import and export value was 11.47 billion U.S. dollars last year, up 39 percent from 8.26 billion U.S. dollars in a year earlier.

The imports last year jumped by 38 percent to 6.6 billion U.S. dollars, and the exports increased by 39.5 percent to 4.87 billion U.S. dollars, leading the trade deficit of 1.73 billion U.S. dollars, it added.

Cambodia is heavily dependent on international trade and its economy relies on garment industry, tourism, agriculture and construction.

According to the statistics, the main products Cambodia exported last year included garment and textile in equivalent to 4. 24 billion U.S. dollars, representing up to 87 percent of the country's total exports.

The exports of rubber latex reached 201 million U.S. dollars, up 131 percent; milled rice hit 104 million U.S. dollars, up 197 percent; and the rest amount was the exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products.

In terms of imports, the country shipped in products including garment and textile raw materials of 2.6 billion U.S. dollars, up 20 percent; petroleum of 1.38 billion U.S. dollars, up 108 percent; construction materials of 560 million U.S. dollars, up 127 percent; automobiles and motorcycles of 365 million U.S. dollars, up 45 percent; food and soft drinks of 162 million U.S. dollars, up 21 percent.

In addition, the imports of pharmaceutical products and cosmetics were 141 million U.S. dollars, down 1.5 percent.