Signed in Phnom Penh on June *, ****, by Cambodia**;s General Department of Customs and Excise and China**;s General Administration of Customs, the pact recognises trusted traders under the Authorised Economic Operator framework. It is designed to simplify customs processes, reduce physical inspections and accelerate clearance for compliant businesses. Cambodia currently has ** AEO companies and aims to reach ** by end-****.
That number is small, so the benefit will not reach every factory immediately. But in apparel, the first bottleneck is often upstream: when fabric, yarn and trims arrive, documents are checked, origin declarations are matched and production calendars begin to compress. AEO status rewards companies that can prove control.
