Cambodia, China trade hits 498 mln U.S.D in Q1, up 216 pct: gov’t report

   PHNOM PENH, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The bilateral trade between Cambodia and China reached 498 million U.S. dollars in the first quarter of this year, 216 percent rise from 157.5 million U.S. dollars at the same period last year, showed to the statistics from the ministry of commerce on Tuesday.

   Of the figure, from January to March this year, Cambodia’s exports to China worth 42 million U.S. dollars, increased by 342 percent from 9.5 million U.S. dollars at the same period last year, and Cambodia’s imports from China reached 456 million U.S. dollars, up 208 percent from 148 million U.S. dollars.

   Cambodia’s main imports from China were garment raw materials, machinery, foodstuffs, electronics, furniture, light products, medicines and cosmetics.

   Cambodia’s main exports to China were agricultural products, rubbers, fishery, timbers, and some garments and textiles.

   “The sharp rise is thanked to better economic recovery and closer economic and social ties between the two countries,” Kong Putheara, director of the commerce ministry’s statistics department, said Tuesday.

   The two countries’ trade value was 1.4 million U.S. dollars in 2010; and the two governments pledged to boost it to 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2012.  (Nguon Sovan)