Soon, it will be possible to border-cross into Vietnam through Tboung Khmum, a province northeast of Phnom Penh and northwest of Ho Chi Minh City.
Establishment of a new border was announced by Prime Minister Hun Sen during the 45th Remembrance Day of the “Journey to Overthrow the Pol Pot Genocidal Regime” program at Koh Thmor Village, Memot District.
Koh Thmor shares a 2,992-meter border with Vuon Buoi Village, a part of the rural district of Lộc Ninh in Vietnam’s Bình Phước Province. Last May 5, a conference reviewing the five-year implementation of a friendship exchange programme between the villages was held.
Throughout its implementation from 2017 to 2021, friendship among both residents and local authorities had been strengthened, which contributed to political security and social order at the border. Moreover, this allowed a regular exchange of goods as well as cultural and artistic activities.
Just last November, a border market in Da Commune, Tboung Khmum, opened for business, occupying about two (2) hectares of land in the special economic zone. It was yet another step to boost trade along the Vietnamese border.
According to the Prime Minister, the new border gate would further enhance trade activities and cooperation between the two (2) countries.
From January to May 2022, Cambodia had exported $1,079 million worth of goods to Vietnam, making it the second biggest market for Khmer goods after the United States. Meanwhile, the Kingdom had imported back goods worth $1,710 million from Vietnam.
Cambodia’s main exports to Vietnam are agricultural products such as rice, cashew nuts, rubber, and vegetables, while imports are mostly iron and steel, oil and gas, and materials for manufacturing apparel and footwear.
To date, there are five (5) existing border gates between Cambodia and Vietnam. The main one is in Bavet, Svay Rieng Province, which crosses over into Vietnam’s Tây Ninh Province, while the other four (4) are in Ratanakiri, Kandal, Takéo, and Kampot.
KH