Chamber vice-president warns excessive imports could harm Cambodian producers

Cambodia Chamber of Commerce vice-president 林兴 recently warned that unchecked imports could squeeze local producers’ ability to survive, threaten domestic manufacturing and cause lasting harm to agricultural development.
He said micro, small and medium-sized enterprises need reasonable profit margins to operate and develop over the long term. Large import volumes could upset supply and demand, drive prices down and make local production unsustainable when producers cannot earn a profit.
He acknowledged the need for moderate, demand-driven imports of high-end agricultural and food products that Cambodia cannot fully supply, such as Japanese beef and seafood. His concern was excessive imports in sectors where domestic supply was already ample.
He cited continued imports of whole pigs despite what he described as sufficient domestic pig-farming capacity, saying further import expansion under those conditions would directly harm local farmers and related businesses.
He urged greater protection of local producers’ interests for agricultural and livestock products with stable domestic supplies, warning against indiscriminate excessive imports that could suppress prices. Otherwise, he said, local industries could shrink and the sustainability of domestic production could be undermined.