Logistics services in Cambodia.

Cambodia logistics overview: modes, trade and gateways

Logistics services in Cambodia cover sea, air, rail and cross-border road options. Seaborne cargo uses Kâmpóng Saôm / Kampong Saom on the Gulf of Thailand, which has a cargo pier depth of about 12.5 m and rail access. Total container throughput is about 1 million TEU a year, handled by several global shipping lines with offices in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville.

Air freight uses a network of 5 airports with scheduled services, including Phnom Penh, Siem Reap-Angkor and Sihanouk International. Rail freight moves on about 642 km of railway, connecting inland areas with the coast. Cross-border road freight links to Laos, Thailand and Vietnam along borders of 555 km, 817 km and 1158 km, supporting regional trucking within ASEAN.

Freight forwarders in Cambodia need to work around a moderate Logistics Performance Index of 2.4, with weaker scores in infrastructure and customs than the world median. When choosing freight forwarders in Cambodia, shippers should look for experience with Kampong Saom and Phsar Ream ports, and with container and general cargo moves through Kâmpóng Saôm.

Traders ship garments, semiconductors, trunks and cases, footwear and gold mainly to partners such as the USA, Germany, China, Japan and Thailand. Imports include refined petroleum, fabric, gold, plastic products and synthetic fabric, sourced heavily from China, Thailand and Vietnam. Forwarders with strong ASEAN knowledge and WTO-aligned procedures can help manage a tariff level around 7.2 percent and LPI customs performance of 2.2.

Container traffic in Cambodia is about 1 million TEU, with Kâmpóng Saôm (KHKOS) the main seaport. This port is classed as medium, with cargo pier depth of 12.5 m and rail access. Cambodia has about 443 km of coastline and 2 main ports, including Kampong Saom and Phsar Ream, plus 1 oil terminal. Liner shipping connectivity was 8.13 in 2021. Several global shipping lines have offices in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, supporting FCL and LCL shipping from and to Cambodia.

ANL, APL, CMA CGM, CNC, HMM, Maersk, RCL, Wan Hai Lines, COSCO, Emirates Shipping Line, Evergreen and Gold Star Line all list offices in Phnom Penh. Most also have offices in Sihanoukville, close to the main seaport. Cambodia’s merchandise exports are about 31 billion USD and imports about 34 billion USD, which helps sustain regular container services.

Scheduled international airports handling freight include Dara Sakor, Siem Reap-Angkor, Sihanouk, Techo International and Battambang. Total air cargo volume is about 2.4 million tonne-km in 2023. This scale suits higher value and time-sensitive exports such as garments, semiconductors, trunks and cases, footwear and gold. On the import side, refined petroleum, fabric, gold, plastic products and synthetic fabric are typical commodities where air can support urgent replenishment or tight production schedules for shippers in Cambodia.

Cambodia has about 642 km of railway. The main seaport at Kâmpóng Saôm is rail connected, linking port operations with inland locations. Rail freight volume was about 92 million tonne-km in 2003. The merchant marine totals 195 ships, including container, general cargo and oil tanker vessels.

Rail and road freight in Cambodia connects with Laos over 555 km of border, Thailand over 817 km and Vietnam over 1,158 km. These borders support regional truck and rail corridors for imports from China, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia and exports to partners such as the USA, Germany, China, Japan and Thailand.

Customs clearance in Cambodia is shaped by membership in the World Customs Organization since 2001 and participation in the WTO and ASEAN. The average applied tariff is about 7.2 percent, and the Logistics Performance Index customs score is 2.2, compared with a world median of 2.6. This shows some procedural and predictability challenges at the border.

Export and import lead times are relatively short, at about 3 days for exports and 4 days for imports. Shippers should ensure accurate commercial invoices, packing lists and transport documents to avoid added delays in a system where infrastructure and customs scores sit below global medians. Trade with partners such as China, Thailand, Vietnam and the USA uses both seaport and land borders, so procedures can vary by corridor.