Cambodia earned US$455 million from rubber exports during the first nine months of 2026, an increase of 25.81% year-on-year, as the country expands its domestic processing and tire manufacturing industries. Data from the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) show higher export earnings, while tire manufacturers are increasingly sourcing Cambodian rubber for local processing and finished-product production.
The development highlights the growing connection between Cambodia’s agricultural resources and its manufacturing sector, creating opportunities to move beyond raw-material exports and supply finished products to domestic and international markets.
Key Facts
Rubber export earnings: US$455 million from January to September 2026.
Year-on-year growth: 25.81%.
Rubber plantation area: Nearly 450,000 hectares.
Annual rubber production: Approximately 420,000 tonnes.
Tire manufacturing factories: Eight across five special economic zones.
Manufacturing locations: Svay Rieng, Preah Sihanouk and Kratie provinces.
Cart Tire factory exports: Nearly 14 million tires over a six-month period, according to the company’s CEO.
Domestic tire distribution: More than 400,000 tires over the same period, representing approximately 40% of Cambodia’s market, according to the company.
Major export destinations for Cart Tire: The United States and Europe.
Cambodia’s Rubber Export Earnings Increase by 25.81%
Cambodia’s rubber exports generated US$455 million during the first nine months of 2026, up 25.81% from the same period in 2025. The figures, cited from the General Department of Customs and Excise, indicate a substantial increase in the value of the country’s rubber exports.
Men Sopheak, president of the Association for Rubber Development of Cambodia, said the sector continued to benefit from stable market conditions and favourable prices. He also highlighted government support for investors producing finished goods domestically.
However, the reported increase in export earnings does not establish how much export volume changed. The source does not provide detailed figures for rubber export quantities or average selling prices, making it difficult to determine the relative contributions of prices and volumes to the increase.
Domestic Tire Manufacturing Creates Opportunities for Rubber Processing
Cambodia’s expanding tire manufacturing industry is creating a domestic market for rubber produced by local plantations. According to the source report, tire manufacturers operating in the country are purchasing Cambodian rubber for processing, providing a connection between agricultural production and industrial manufacturing.
This development offers a potential pathway for more rubber to be processed domestically rather than exported exclusively as a raw material.
Domestic processing can create opportunities for rubber producers, processors, factory operators and logistics businesses. The scale of these benefits will depend on local sourcing volumes, production capacity, manufacturing costs and demand in domestic and overseas markets.
The report does not specify the proportion of Cambodia’s annual rubber production purchased by local factories or the total value of rubber processed domestically.
Cart Tire Reports Nearly 14 Million Tire Exports
Sailun CEO Kin Odom Mony Sinath told Kampuchea Thmey that the company’s Cart Tire factory exported nearly 14 million tires over a six-month period. The factory also distributed more than 400,000 tires domestically, which the company said represented approximately 40% of the Cambodian market.
During the first half of 2026, the United States received approximately 8.5 million tires, or around 60% of the factory’s exports. Europe received about three million tires, representing approximately 20%.
The figures show that the factory serves both international customers and Cambodia’s domestic market. The United States was the largest reported destination for its exports during the first half of the year.
The report does not provide the factory’s export revenue, profit margins, total production capacity or a breakdown of tire types. It also does not specify how much of its rubber input is sourced locally.
Cambodia’s Tire Manufacturing Industry Grows to Eight Factories
Cambodia now has eight tire manufacturing factories located across five special economic zones in Svay Rieng, Preah Sihanouk and Kratie provinces, according to the report.
The growth of these facilities points to the development of a domestic manufacturing base linked to the country’s rubber supply. Their presence across several provinces also connects tire production with Cambodia’s wider industrial and logistics network.
Nevertheless, the number of factories alone does not establish total production capacity, employment or the amount of value added within Cambodia. Further information on investment, factory output and local procurement would help assess the industry’s overall economic contribution.
Cambodia’s Rubber Plantations Supply a Growing Industrial Base
Cambodia maintains nearly 450,000 hectares of rubber plantations, producing approximately 420,000 tonnes of rubber annually, according to the source report.
This production base supplies raw material for export markets and offers potential inputs for domestic processing facilities. As tire manufacturing expands, the availability of locally produced rubber may become increasingly important to the relationship between agriculture and industry.
The source states that Cambodian rubber was previously exported entirely as a raw material, while the country has since developed the capacity to process it into finished products domestically.
The report does not provide a current breakdown of production by raw rubber exports, domestic processing or finished-product manufacturing. It is therefore not possible to quantify how much of the annual output is now absorbed by local factories.
Opportunities and Challenges for the Rubber Industry
The expansion of domestic tire manufacturing creates opportunities to strengthen the links between plantation agriculture and industrial production. However, the longer-term impact will depend on several factors.
Domestic value addition: Processing rubber locally can create additional manufacturing activity, although the amount of value retained in Cambodia depends on production costs, imported inputs and the final products manufactured.
Supply-chain development: Stronger links between plantations, processors and tire factories could create more predictable domestic demand for rubber. The scale of this relationship has not been quantified in the report.
Export market access: The reported shipments to the United States and Europe demonstrate the importance of overseas markets to Cambodian tire manufacturing. Continued access depends on market demand, trade conditions and manufacturers’ ability to meet buyers’ requirements.
Price and demand volatility: Rubber export earnings are influenced by market prices and export volumes. Stable prices may support revenue, but the available figures do not establish how the sector will perform if market conditions change.
Industrial competitiveness: Manufacturing costs, productivity, infrastructure and logistics will influence whether Cambodian factories can sustain their position in domestic and international markets.
Angkor Times Analysis
Cambodia’s US$455 million in rubber export earnings and the expansion of its tire manufacturing network illustrate two connected parts of the country’s rubber economy: agricultural commodity exports and domestic industrial production.
The 25.81% increase in export earnings is a measure of growth in export value, but it should not be interpreted automatically as an equivalent increase in production. Export-volume data and average prices would be needed to establish the main drivers of the increase.
The development of eight tire factories presents a separate indicator of industrial expansion. Cart Tire’s reported export shipments demonstrate the scale of activity at one manufacturer, while the reported domestic distribution figures indicate a presence in Cambodia’s local market.
For investors and businesses, important indicators to monitor include rubber export volumes, factory production capacity, local rubber procurement, employment, finished-tire export values and the distribution of export destinations. These figures would help determine whether Cambodia is retaining a greater share of the value generated from its rubber resources.
The strategic opportunity is to build a more integrated industry in which plantation production supports competitive domestic processing and manufacturing. The extent of that opportunity will depend on the amount of rubber processed locally, the commercial performance of factories and their ability to compete in international markets.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much did Cambodia earn from rubber exports in the first nine months of 2026?
Cambodia earned US$455 million from rubber exports between January and September 2026, an increase of 25.81% year-on-year.
2. How much rubber does Cambodia produce annually?
Cambodia has nearly 450,000 hectares of rubber plantations, producing approximately 420,000 tonnes annually, according to the report.
3. How many tire manufacturing factories are operating in Cambodia?
The report identifies eight tire manufacturing factories across five special economic zones in Svay Rieng, Preah Sihanouk and Kratie provinces.
4. How many tires did Cart Tire export?
Sailun CEO Kin Odom Mony Sinath reported that Cart Tire exported nearly 14 million tires over a six-month period.
5. Which were Cart Tire’s main export markets in the first half of 2026?
The United States received approximately 8.5 million tires, or around 60% of exports, while Europe received about three million tires, or approximately 20%.
6. What share of Cambodia’s domestic tire market does Cart Tire serve?
The company’s CEO said Cart Tire distributed more than 400,000 tires domestically over six months, representing approximately 40% of the Cambodian market.
7. Does higher rubber export revenue mean Cambodia exported more rubber by volume?
Not necessarily. Export earnings can change because of prices, quantities or both. The source report does not provide the volume and average-price data needed to distinguish these effects.