Cambodia’s car market has just sent a clear message to global exporters: demand is here, and it’s growing fast. In 2025, the country spent $1.1 billion on car imports, a 60% increase from the $686.7 million recorded in 2024, according to a Ministry of Commerce report highlighted in Khmer Times and other regional news outlets.
For U.S. dealers, auction buyers, and logistics providers, this is not just a headline—it is a concrete signal that Cambodia is becoming one of Southeast Asia’s most interesting destinations for used, new, and electric vehicles. This article breaks down what the surge means for exporters and how to position your shipping strategy using West Coast Shipping’s dedicated Cambodia car shipping services.
The Ministry of Commerce figures cited in the Khmer Times article confirm that Cambodia’s car import bill hit $1.1 billion in 2025, up from $686.7 million in 2024. While the report did not disclose the exact number of vehicles imported, the jump in total value alone points to several trends:
Buyers are importing higher‑value vehicles, including more late‑model cars and EVs.
Demand is broad‑based enough to support a double‑digit increase in spending in a single year.
The vehicle market is proving resilient despite global freight and currency volatility.
In that same coverage, Thong Mengdavid of the China‑ASEAN Studies Center at the Cambodia University of Technology and Science highlighted rising demand for electric vehicles (EVs) as one of the key drivers behind the surge. He noted that EV registrations have grown quickly—adding thousands of electric cars to Cambodian roads in 2025—and framed this not as a one‑off spike but as part of a deeper structural shift supported by infrastructure and policy.
For exporters, that combination—higher overall spend plus a fast‑growing EV segment—creates a window to place the right inventory into a market that is still far from saturated. If you want a fuller breakdown of the numbers, tax structure, and model mix, the main reference guide is the WCS article Cambodia Car Imports Surge 60%: EV Demand & Tax Guide.
The Khmer Times story and related reports agree on one point: EVs are central to the import surge. Cambodia has:
Introduced tax incentives that make the total effective tax burden on EVs significantly lower than on many traditional fuel vehicles.
Launched an “Electric Vehicle Sector Development Policy (2024–2030)” with clear targets for EV adoption.
Encouraged public and private investment in charging infrastructure, especially in Phnom Penh and along major routes.
Regional EV studies and local market analysis show EV registrations rising several‑fold between 2023 and 2024, with thousands of additional units in 2025. Popular brands include BYD, Tesla, and Toyota hybrid models, with BYD in particular gaining share as manufacturers treat Cambodia as a testbed for affordable EVs in the Mekong region.
For exporters in the U.S., three practical implications stand out:
Late‑model Tesla, Nissan Leaf, Hyundai Ioniq and Kona, and BYD models sourced from U.S. inventories can tap into demand that is already there, not speculative.
EV‑ready logistics—battery handling, state‑of‑charge controls, and proper documentation—become a competitive differentiator. West Coast Shipping outlines those best practices in its EV shipping cost, methods & safety guide.
As charging networks expand and policy remains supportive, longer‑range EVs and crossovers become easier to sell and keep in daily use, which improves resale and financing prospects.
Khmer Times also emphasizes that expanded charging infrastructure and ambitious electrification goals are “creating conditions that support sustained growth in Cambodia’s EV market over the medium to long term.” That kind of policy backing is exactly what exporters like to see before committing inventory and shipping capacity to a new lane.
A 60% jump in import value is more than a statistical blip—it reshapes how exporters should think about Cambodia. When you combine the Ministry of Commerce numbers from the Khmer Times report with Cambodia’s relatively open import regime and EV‑friendly tax structure, three opportunity pillars emerge.
Compared with some neighboring markets, Cambodia has fewer restrictive quotas and simpler rules for used vehicles, even though duties and taxes still apply. Public tax guides on Cambodia’s auto sector explain that vehicle imports are subject to a three‑part structure: import duty, special tax, and value‑added tax. For traditional fuel vehicles, the combined effective tax burden can reach around 100%+ of CIF value, while fully electric vehicles benefit from significantly lower total percentages.
West Coast Shipping’s Cambodia page highlights that:
Shipments typically enter via Sihanoukville, the main seaport.
Shipping costs from the USA to Cambodia start around the mid‑$2,000s range, depending on vehicle size, method, and exact port pairing.
WCS supports wholesale container shipping for dealers and repeat importers, using private warehouses in California, Florida, and New Jersey.
Taken together, those elements mean exporters can realistically build a lane around Cambodia without the multi‑year setup some other markets demand.
Because EVs enjoy a lower total effective tax burden than many conventional fuel vehicles, their pricing curve looks different once the car lands. In practice, that can mean:
A higher‑value EV may land closer in final price to a mid‑range fuel vehicle after local taxes are applied.
Cambodian buyers can justify paying more upfront for EVs when lifetime running costs and tax treatment both favor electric.
Stocking the right EV mix—compact crossovers, small sedans, and city cars—can generate better per‑unit margins than shipping only older, large‑engine SUVs or sedans.
West Coast Shipping’s broader EV content, such as the article on electric vehicle export boom shipments from the USA, shows similar margin dynamics in other emerging EV markets and offers examples of how exporters use EVs to move up the value chain.
The Ministry of Commerce report that Khmer Times cites does not list unit counts, but a $1.1 billion import bill implies a sizeable—and growing—flow of vehicles. Combined with Cambodia’s wholesale‑friendly environment and the ability to consolidate containers, this opens a lane for:
Dealers and auctions shipping mixed containers of EVs, hybrids, and conventional cars.
Salvage buyers focusing on repairable EVs and hybrids, where total landed cost still works after taxes and reconditioning.
Specialists bringing in niche models—luxury EVs, classic cars, or high‑spec SUVs—that fill clear gaps in local inventory.
West Coast Shipping supports these models through its wholesale programs and finished vehicle logistics solutions, which are designed for multi‑unit and repeat shipments.
As Cambodia’s import demand grows, logistics partners become gatekeepers to the opportunity. West Coast Shipping’s Cambodia service page and regional Asia overview explain how the company is positioning itself on this lane.
From its hubs in California, New Jersey, and Florida, West Coast Shipping offers:
Vehicle pickup from auctions, dealers, or private sellers across the U.S.
Secure container loading for standard cars, EVs, and high‑value units, using methods detailed in the complete container shipping guide.
Export clearance and documentation at U.S. ports.
Ocean transport to Sihanoukville with typical transit times in the 30–45 day window, depending on routing and schedule.
The same container‑loading techniques that WCS uses worldwide—multi‑level racking, strategic placement of crossovers and sedans, careful bracing—are applied on the Cambodia lane to protect both new and used vehicles.
Because Cambodia’s import surge is heavily EV‑driven, exporters need a partner that understands EV‑specific handling. West Coast Shipping’s EV resources and region‑specific guides (for example, its content on shipping EVs to Turkey) outline best practices that also apply to Cambodia, including:
Managing state of charge and battery documentation to satisfy carrier rules.
Complying with hazardous‑cargo requirements for lithium‑ion battery packs.
Using pre‑shipment EV checklists so that potential issues are caught before loading, not after the vehicle arrives at destination.
You can find a consolidated overview of these best practices in WCS’s EV shipping cost, methods & safety guide.
For high‑volume exporters, the Cambodia page highlights:
Dedicated 20ft and 40ft container options for dealers and regular importers.
The ability to consolidate parts, wheels, and accessories around vehicles in the same container.
Coordination with your chosen import agent in Cambodia for smoother customs clearance and yard logistics.
If your strategy involves not just Cambodia but also other ASEAN destinations such as Vietnam, WCS’s Asia shipping hub page and neighboring country pages (for example, Vietnam) help you design multi‑country export programs from a single U.S. base.
Putting all of this together, Cambodia’s 60% import surge and growing EV demand translate into a few clear, actionable steps.
Over the next 6–12 months, exporters can:
Start with small batches of EVs and late‑model fuel vehicles to test demand and pricing.
Use shared containers via West Coast Shipping’s Cambodia service rather than immediately committing to dedicated containers.
Track how quickly vehicles sell, what types perform best, and how margins behave after duties and local reconditioning.
Pairing this testing phase with the main overview Cambodia Car Imports Surge 60%: EV Demand & Tax Guide gives you a solid reference on taxes and model selection while you experiment.
If early shipments perform well, the next step is to:
Set a regular shipping cadence, such as a 40ft container every month from a primary U.S. port.
Standardize a core mix of EVs and efficient fuel vehicles tailored to Cambodian demand (compact crossovers, small sedans, ride‑share suitable models).
Align container departures and arrivals with Cambodia’s registration cycles and seasonal demand patterns.
West Coast Shipping’s broader trend analysis in its industry articles can help you benchmark Cambodia against other destinations as you decide where to allocate limited inventory.
Over time, Cambodia can become:
A core outlet for compact EVs and hybrids sourced from the U.S.
A regional node used in conjunction with neighboring markets under one export strategy.
A hedge against demand cycles in more mature markets, thanks to its growth potential and policy support for electrification.
Exporters who establish lanes now, while the market is still under‑supplied, will be best positioned to maintain relationships and volume as competition intensifies.
If you are ready to see what Cambodia’s import boom could mean for your business, use the button below to open West Coast Shipping’s calculator and get live rates to Sihanoukville. Combine this article with the main overview Cambodia Car Imports Surge 60%: EV Demand & Tax Guide and the country page for shipping cars to Cambodia to plan your next shipment from the USA.