Matt Western MP, the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy for Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos, is scheduled to visit Phnom Penh on 20–21 October 2025. According to a UK government press notice, the programme includes meetings with ministers, engagement with British firms and JTIF-linked activity, alongside attendance at the inauguration of Techo International Airport.
The airport is a prominent UK–Cambodia touchpoint: it formally opened on 9 September 2025 and was designed by Foster + Partners. The first phase is built for up to 13 million passengers a year, with expansion paths to 30 million and then 50 million by mid‑century, positioning Cambodia to absorb travel and cargo demand as regional connectivity deepens.
Policy discussions on this visit are expected to include regional trade architecture. The UK’s accession to the CPTPP took effect on 15 December 2024, and Cambodia has established a government taskforce, chaired by Sok Siphana, to study a prospective accession pathway-Western is due to engage with that team during his stay.
For exporters and importers, the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) remains the central instrument in the UK–Cambodia trade relationship. In force since 19 June 2023, the DCTS replaced the UK’s GSP, simplifies rules and reduces tariffs, with Least Developed Countries-such as Cambodia-benefiting from duty‑free, quota‑free access on virtually all products excluding arms.
Rules of origin are also being adjusted. The UK confirmed in July that more liberal rules-aimed at smoothing LDC transitions and supporting apparel trade-are intended to take effect in early 2026, including lighter processing requirements and wider cumulation options for qualifying garments. Businesses should plan for these changes now given lead times.
Cambodia’s broader transition is time‑bound. The UN General Assembly has scheduled the country’s graduation from LDC status for 19 December 2029. Under UK guidance, DCTS LDCs benefit from a three‑year transition after UN graduation; for apparel, the UK has stated the same rules of origin will apply on moving from Comprehensive to Enhanced Preferences, providing continuity through 2032 if timelines hold.
JTIF is the principal bilateral platform for trade policy coordination and private‑sector engagement. The 2024 JTIF set a forward agenda spanning market access, investment promotion and consideration of a double taxation agreement, with officials highlighting education, infrastructure and financial services as priority areas. The envoy’s visit builds on that mandate.
Regulatory reform is another strand. On 11 September 2025, the Office of the Council of Ministers and the UK’s FCDO signed a three‑year memorandum to institutionalise regulatory impact assessment (RIA) practice, delivered under the ASEAN–UK Economic Integration Programme, to improve the quality and predictability of new rules affecting trade and investment.
Skills and education linkages continue to deepen. De Montfort University became the first UK university to open a campus in Cambodia, offering UK‑accredited programmes in Phnom Penh and expanding routes into professional training and graduate talent pipelines for employers active in the market.
On the business side, Western is expected to meet British companies operating in‑market. These include garment manufacturer Dewhirst, a long‑standing UK‑owned producer with owned manufacturing in Phnom Penh, illustrating how DCTS preferences and evolving rules of origin connect directly to factory orders, compliance processes and jobs.
What to watch next for practitioners: near‑term implementation of the UK’s 2026 rules‑of‑origin package; Cambodia’s CPTPP technical work and any scoping towards accession; and early RIA pilots under the UK‑backed programme. For exporters, proof‑of‑origin remains critical-origin declarations or Form A (unstamped) can be used where permitted-and firms should refresh compliance files accordingly.