Background
On July 29, 2026, the Senate adopted three draft laws approving ASEAN mutual recognition arrangements by a unanimous vote of 58 senators.
H.E. Hem Vanndy, Minister of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, presented the measures to the Senate’s extraordinary session after the National Assembly approved the same texts on July 14, 2026.
The three draft laws cover national approval of the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Mutual Recognition Arrangements (AFAMRA), a sectoral MRA for building and construction materials, and an MRA on type approval for automotive products.
Scope of Application
Each draft law concerns Cambodia’s formal approval of specified ASEAN agreements and the sectors named in those agreements: the AFAMRA framework for sectoral MRAs, the Sectoral MRA for Building and Construction Materials, and the MRA on Type Approval for Automotive Products.
Key Provisions or Decisions
The Senate completed a unanimous adoption of the three draft laws on 29 July 2026, following the National Assembly vote on 14 July 2026.
The AFAMRA-related draft law provides the legal basis for developing sector-level mutual recognition arrangements for priority products and services under ASEAN processes.
The sectoral MRA for building and construction materials approves measures for mutual recognition of conformity assessment in that sector across ASEAN member states.
The automotive MRA approves ASEAN procedures for mutual recognition of type-approval decisions for vehicles and vehicle components among member states.
Implications for Investors, Businesses, or Compliance
These laws, when promulgated, will serve as Cambodia’s domestic legal approval of the named ASEAN agreements and thereby create the statutory authority to implement the sectoral MRAs referenced in each instrument.
Companies operating in the construction materials and automotive sectors will need to follow subsequent implementing regulations and administrative procedures that define how conformity assessment and type-approval recognition operate under Cambodian law.
Official Source
Ministry press release: https://www.misti.gov.kh/pressroom/news-and-events/zyCxxBZ64e9p
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