Background
The maritime and inland waterway sector links Cambodia’s coastal gateways with river corridors and regional trade routes, supporting cargo movement between inland production centers and ASEAN seaports. Cambodia’s river and coastal shipping network supports domestic and cross-border freight movement along the Mekong and to nearby ASEAN seaports.
The Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) formulates and implements national policy for ports, maritime transport and waterway infrastructure through its directorates and strategic plans. Cambodia enacted the Waterway Transport Law in 2024 and has developed a national waterway and port development plan for 2026–2035 to guide capacity upgrades, multimodal connections and governance reforms.
Key Developments
On 28 May 2026, MPWT sent a delegation to the 10th Maritime Silk Road Port Cooperation Forum in Ningbo, People’s Republic of China. Heng Sothy, Director‑General of the General Directorate for Waterway and Maritime Transport and Ports, delivered a presentation on development trends for Cambodia’s ports and shipping sector and outlined the government’s strategic priorities.
The delegation highlighted ongoing Cambodia–China cooperation projects, including a mixed water resources management initiative named in Khmer in the MPWT statement and other joint projects framed under Belt and Road cooperation. MPWT also reported plans to expand Sihanoukville Autonomous Port capacity and to upgrade inland river facilities to accommodate growing cargo volumes and cross‑border flows with Laos and Vietnam.
Policy Context
MPWT’s 2026–2035 strategy emphasises four pillars: improving transport capacity, enhancing multimodal connectivity, modernising port and waterway infrastructure, and strengthening safety and environmental safeguards. The strategy identifies financing and cooperation mechanisms such as government‑to‑government (G2G) agreements, public–private partnerships (PPP) and partner‑to‑partner (P2P) arrangements to mobilise investment for priority projects.
Market Impact
MPWT stated that cargo volumes on inland waterways and coastal routes have been rising, creating demand for expanded terminal capacity, navigation improvements and logistics linkages. Upgrades to seaport and riverine infrastructure are presented as measures to support trade facilitation, attract investment and integrate Cambodia more fully into regional supply chains.
