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Cambodia seeks to export more rice to China

Cambodia is asked to increase the amount of rice export to China, key insiders said, stressing that China is the potential market of Cambodian milled rice.

Cambodia should ask China to increase the rice import quota from the Kingdom, said Mr. Song Saran, President of Cambodia Rice Federation, in a consultative meeting with private sector held at the Ministry of Commerce Wednesday.

The idea was made as inputs from the rice sector before the third round of negotiations of Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement scheduled to be held on June 9.

In the meeting, Mr. Song Saran raised about the potential of Cambodian rice in China’s market. “This potential is a good chance for Cambodia to expand its amount of rice export to China or to request the latter to increase the Cambodian rice import quota, as Cambodia-China friendship is strong as iron,” he said.

Chaired by Sok Sopheak, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Commerce, the consultative meeting aimed at gathering inputs from various stakeholders in the private sector to broaden ideas of the negotiating team in preparation for the third round of negotiations.

He added that all inputs from the private sector are key for the success of the upcoming third round of FTA negotiations.

Cambodia and China started their talks over bilateral FTA establishment since earlier this year. The first round of negotiations was conducted in January while the second in April.

During the first five months of this year, Cambodia exported 356,097 tonnes of rice, up 42 percent compared to the same period last year. China is the main destination of Cambodia’s rice export, representing 38 percent of the total export. Chea Vannak/AKP

Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50730663/cambodia-seeks-to-export-more-rice-to-china/