The value of imports and exports passing through the Sihanoukville Special Economy Zone (SSEZ) in Cambodia hit a record high in 2024, said Cambodia’s customs data released on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The total trade volume of the enterprises in the SSEZ reached 4.07 billion U.S. dollars last year, a year-on-year increase of 21.3 percent, the data showed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jointly ventured by Chinese and Cambodian investors, the SSEZ is a flagship project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The SSEZ operator said in a news release that in 2024, the zone featured high-quality development and promoted the integration of industry and city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The news release said the construction of the SSEZ 2.0 upgraded version has taken a big step to a new level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 11-square-km SSEZ had attracted 28 new enterprises in 2024, bringing the total number of enterprises in the zone to 202, with approximately 32,000 jobs created, the news release said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those enterprises came from China, European countries, the United States, and Southeast Asian countries, among other countries and regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The SSEZ has injected new momentum into enriching the China-Cambodia Diamond Hexagon cooperation framework and building Cambodia’s Industrial Development Corridor,” the news release said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Neak Chandarith, director of the Cambodia 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Research Center, said the SSEZ is situated near the deep-water Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, which is very convenient for trade exchanges between Cambodia and the rest of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“This economic zone has contributed to boosting Cambodia’s economic growth and generating a lot of jobs for locals,” he told Xinhua.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The SSEZ, together with other flagship BRI projects, has been playing a crucial role in helping Cambodia achieve its ambitious goals of becoming an upper-middle income country by 2030 and a high-income nation by 2050.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Seun Sam, a policy analyst at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said the SSEZ is one of the key catalysts for Cambodia’s economic growth and trade development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The SSEZ is one of the most impressive outcomes of the BRI projects in Cambodia,” he told Xinhua. “This special economic zone has attracted a lot of foreign direct investment and boosted Cambodia’s manufacturing sector, leading to employment creation and increased exports.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n