Cambodia Prioritizes Digital Trade for Export Diversification Ahead of LDC Graduation

GENEVA, Sept 22, 2026 (KPT) — Cambodia is spotlighting digital trade and services as central to diversifying exports, strengthening competitiveness and building resilience as it prepares to graduate from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category, officials said Tuesday. The issue was raised at a session titled Driving Digital Transformation and LDC Graduation, hosted by Cambodia on Sept 16 during the WTO Public Forum in Geneva. Moderated by Kong Sokheng, Director of WTO Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce, the panel featured Cambodia’s WTO envoy Suon Prasith, WTO Deputy Director‑General Johanna Hill, UK Ambassador Kumar Iyer and Alice Tipping of the International Institute for Sustainable Development. Speakers said digital trade can help LDCs diversify exports and support micro, small and medium‑sized enterprises, women and young entrepreneurs. But they warned of gaps in infrastructure, skills shortages, regulatory barriers and the erosion of trade preferences after graduation. Participants urged LDCs to boost digital readiness and pursue reforms to improve competitiveness in services and digitally enabled trade. They highlighted the role of the WTO, Aid for Trade and development partners in supporting infrastructure, skills and reforms to build inclusive digital economies. The WTO Forum this year placed services and digital transformation at the centre of its agenda, stressing their importance for development, income and jobs. For Cambodia, the Geneva session underscored digital trade as a pillar of its strategy to expand beyond traditional exports and strengthen resilience as graduation nears.