The British Chamber of Commerce (BritCham) in Cambodia is set to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2025. The chamber has set goals to boost trade between Cambodia and the United Kingdom, increase educational exchanges between both countries, and rebuild the chamber's membership profile.
Martin Darby, Executive Director of BritCham Cambodia, spoke to B2B Cambodia during its ‘Cambodia Regulations 2025: Compliance Talks’ event, co-organised with Grant Thornton Cambodia, on January 16, 2025, at Canadia Tower.
Darby shared that British investors have displayed a growing interest in Cambodia, alongside increasing bilateral trade and cooperation, especially in the education sector.
BritCham Cambodia History
Initially founded in 1995, BritCham Cambodia currently has around 40 members (down from 140 members at its peak) and is housed at the British Embassy in Phnom Penh. Darby was appointed as BritCham’s new executive director in late 2024 and has expressed hopes to revive the chamber to its former pinnacle.
The three main focuses of BritCham Cambodia are to foster business and trade, promote educational exchanges, and create social events for its member companies.
Darby explained that the chamber’s role is to represent the interests of British companies investing in Cambodia, such as by lobbying on behalf of the British companies. He added that the chamber also helps facilitate those Cambodian companies that wish to invest in the United Kingdom (UK).
Cambodia-United Kingdom Bilateral Trade
As BritCham’s executive director, Darby said he hopes to collaborate with the UK Department of Business and Trade, and the Cambodian government, to further enhance business relations between the UK and Cambodia.
In 2024, the bilateral trade volume between Cambodia and the UK stood at over USD 1 billion, according to the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE), making the UK Cambodia's 10th largest trading partner.
From January to December 2024, Cambodia’s exports to the UK valued at USD 958.7 million, up 20.4 per cent compared to 2023, while imports from the UK totalled USD 53.7 million in value.
Cambodia’s main exports to the UK include items such as garments, footwear, bags, bicycles, and agricultural products, while imports from the UK include vehicles, machinery, electrical equipment and electronics.
According to a 2024 UK government report, from Q2 2023 to Q2 2024, Cambodia's main exports to the UK were:
- Clothing (~USD 508 million) and footwear (~USD 63 million)
- Cereals (~USD 20.5 million)
Imports from the UK were mainly:
- Cars (~USD 10.4 million)
- Textile fabrics
- Animal feed
- Beverages
- Tobacco
- Clothing
“[The UK is] buying products that they know are made to a very high standard here in the Kingdom of Cambodia, and it’s that quality that the British consumer is seeking,” he stated.
Darby added that there’s been growing interest from British nationals and businesses in Cambodia, increasing imports of Cambodian products to the UK. Furthermore, approximately 93,000 British nationals arrived in Cambodia in 2024.
“There is definitely interest in Cambodia. We're seeing more tourists coming into the country in 2024,[...] We're also observing increased investment from businesses and more exports of products, particularly textiles, bicycles, and human capital,” he said.
UK-Cambodia Educational Cooperation
Darby said a major goal that BritCham has in 2025 is to promote British educational curricula in Cambodian schools, increase the number of Cambodian students studying in the UK, and facilitate internships for British graduates in Cambodia.
According to the British chamber, over 30 international schools in Cambodia currently offer a British curriculum, including qualifications from Cambridge, OxfordAQA, and Pearson Edexcel.
“Many Cambodians are now studying in universities in the UK, so this partnership, this relationship, is definitely growing, and we would see this year being probably the year of most growth in our 30-year history,” shared Darby.
Many new international schools adopting British curricula have opened, or are planning to, in Cambodia. The Leicester’s based De Montfort University recently opened in August 2024.
Shrewsbury International School also opened in 2024, while Darby mentioned that two other British international schools – Reigate Grammar School and Bromsgrove School – are set to open their doors in 2025.
With more education exchange between the two countries, Darby believes this will help build more social connections and understanding between Cambodia and the UK, which would lead to more innovation and business opportunities.
Fostering Greater UK-Cambodia Connections
When asked about the future of British investment interests in Cambodia, Darby highlighted green technology and infrastructure as two growth areas he believes have potential for the UK to become involved in.
He particularly mentioned the development of railways as something the UK could potentially support the Cambodian government on.
Regarding the possibility of establishing direct flight routes between Cambodia and the UK, Darby said such talks are still in progress, but BritCham Cambodia is actively engaging with airline companies. Currently, flights between Cambodia and the UK are only possible through connecting routes via Qatar, Emirates, Singapore, and other airlines.
Darby also expressed hope that the new Techo International Airport (TIA), designed by British international architectural firm Foster + Partners, will bring significant changes to the country.
Rebuilding The British Chamber Of Commerce In Cambodia
In addition to boosting trade and education exchanges, BritCham's main goal for 2025 is to rebuild the chamber. After a notable decline in membership, BritCham is working to grow from over 40 current members back to its peak of 140. The chamber plans to host more exclusive member events and public gatherings to connect British and Cambodian businesses.
“We respect the work done by the Royal Government and the embassy lobbying on behalf of British companies. I believe Cambodia is on a good trajectory, and this year will be a strong performing year for all our member companies. We'd welcome many more to join the chamber as well,” Darby concluded.