Mr. Mak Ny, President of the Cambodian Pepper and Spice Federation (CPSF), said recently that the export of Cambodian pepper to China is expected to grow significantly in 2025 as more and more Cambodian exporters actively explore the Chinese market. This growth is due to the Pepper Export Protocol signed between Cambodia and China, which provides important market opportunities for the development of the Cambodian pepper industry and pepper growers.

President Mak Ny noted that Cambodia first exported pepper to China in 2024 and that many companies are already actively working to increase their exports to China. “We expect pepper exports to grow further in 2025 as Chinese and Cambodian exporters are actively working together to expand pepper supply to the Chinese market.”

CPSF is optimistic about the future.Chairman Mak Ny said that Cambodian pepper exports will continue to grow in the coming years due to declining production in other pepper-producing countries. He predicted that the Cambodian pepper market will continue to improve from 2024 to 2030, with the price of pepper remaining above 24,000 riel (about $6) per kilogram, mainly due to limited supply growth and continued market demand.

According to the Cambodian Ministry of Commerce, in the first 11 months of 2024, the value of Cambodian pepper exports to the international market reached more than 34 million U.S. dollars, a year-on-year increase of nearly 150 percent, compared with 13 million U.S. dollars in the same period last year. cpsf believes that this significant growth stems from the increase in demand from importing countries and the reduction of pepper production in the main exporting countries, resulting in a decline in global pepper stocks. Reduced pepper supply on the international market has also directly pushed up the price of Cambodian pepper, which has reached more than 25,000 riel per kilogram this year, twice as much as last year.

According to the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries report, the current Cambodian pepper planting area of nearly 7,000 hectares, an average yield of more than 18,000 tons per hectare. Although Vietnam is still the largest market for Cambodian pepper exports, Cambodia is also actively expanding into other markets, such as exporting peppers with Geographical Indication (GI) certification through Kampot province, which are mainly sold to EU countries. This increase in exports to China will further diversify the export market for Cambodian pepper and bring new opportunities for the country's pepper industry.