Trade Deficit Up 34 Percent On Last Year

Cambodia’s trade deficit in the first half of the year grew 34.31 percent compared with the same period in 2011, reaching $1.36 billion, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce. Though revenues earned from exports grew 12.13 percent to about $2.50 billion, a growing demand for oil, automobiles and raw materials used for manufacturing garments resulted in $3.86 billion worth of goods imported, a 19.08 percent increase, according to the data released last week. The garment sector, which made up 88.33 percent of all exports last year, or $2.1 billion, has been sluggish following a record year in 2011 that saw 25 percent growth and $4.25 billion in revenues. In six months of this year, growth has slowed to 8.72 percent, according to the data. The rubber sector also faced setbacks as prices on the international markets have dropped about 40 percent year on year. As a result, revenues have fallen by 28.06 percent to $73.5 million, even though Cambodia actually exported slightly more rubber compared with the same period last year. …