Kingdom’s small auto industry likely to expand as AEC looms
The Cambodian automotive industry will expand after the Kingdom’s integration into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Community (AEC) in 2015, thanks to the free flow of goods within the bloc and Cambodia’s competitive advantage as a low-cost manufacturer, according to Cambodian Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh. Speaking at the First Phnom Penh International Motor Show on Friday, Prasidh said the number of vehicles produced annually in the ASEAN region is expected to surpass two million after the area becomes closer to being a single economy. … In 2011, a joint venture between Hyundai distributor KH Motors and the Ly Young Phat Group began assembling cars in Koh Kong province. A year later, in March, Ford began assembling the 2012 Everest SUV in Sihanoukville for the domestic market. In September last year, UK-based BIW automotive company signed a $2 billion joint-venture investment with ACICA Automotive (Cambodia) to build a factory in Preah Sihanouk province to produce a Cambodian-made vehicle within the next three years. …
