Deputy Prime Minister Keat Chhon said Sunday that the government expects the country’s total trade volume in 2013 to increase by more than 14.4 percent from last year.
The total value of imports and exports will reach $16 billion by the end of the year, an increase of more than $2 billion over total trade last year, which stood at $13.98 billion, according to Mr. Chhon, who left his position as finance minister following July’s election.
“The trade sector is playing an active role in enhancing and promoting economic growth,” Mr. Chhon said.
“We optimistically predict that the total trade figure in 2013 will reach nearly $16 million,” he added.
Mr. Chhon also said that the total amount of rice exports in the first 11 months of the year was 332,009 tons, putting Cambodia on pace to almost double its total 2012 rice exports of 205,717.
The government is aiming to export 1 million tons of rice annually by 2015.
