Belarus Wants Kingdom's Rubber

KHMER TIMES
SUM MANET

Workers in a rubber plantation in northern Cambodia. Reuters

Belarus expressed a desire to start importing natural rubber from Cambodia and boost trade between the two nations in the coming years at a trade meeting on Monday.

Tekreth Kamrang, a secretary of state at the Commerce Ministry, met with Belarus Ambassador Vladimir Goshin to discuss forging better ties and increasing trade. Belarus is in search of rubber suppliers because Vietnam lacked the resources to fill their needs.

“Belarus is seeking Cambodian natural rubber suppliers due to the lack of supply in Vietnam, which is a good opportunity for Cambodia,” Mr. Goshin said.

“The current bilateral trade between Cambodia and Belarus is tiny and both countries should work closely to boost trade volume up to $200 million by 2020.”

He added that both countries should organize business forums so investors can explore business opportunities, Mr. Kamrang said.

The secretary-general of the Association for Rubber Development in Cambodia, Men Sopheak, welcomed the move, telling Khmer Times that any expansion of their market is good for Cambodian rubber farmers.

“I think it will bring advantages to Cambodia because it will add more markets to the existing markets we already export to,” he said. “The price at present is about $1,900 per ton and our main markets are Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.

“Japan is another market we export latex to, but it is not much and only a trial.”

Recently, rubber prices on the global commodities market have been expected to rise to $2,500 per ton due to the improved state of the world economy and efforts by four major rubber producing countries – Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia – to cut back supply.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture’s figures as of September this year, Cambodia exported 82,825 tons of rubber – up almost 11 percent compared with the same period last year.

The ministry’s figures also show that the number of rubber plantations continues to rise – mostly in the northeast provinces of Mondulkiri and Rattanakiri.

According to the ministry, total rubber plantation areas reached 402,310 hectares in September, far ahead of the government’s target of 400,000 hectares by 2020.