UK Extends Zero Tariffs On Cambodian Exports Under DCTS
The United Kingdom will continue offering duty-free access for Cambodian exports, including clothing, electronics and other goods, under its Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), the British Embassy in Cambodia announced this week.
The initiative is part of a broader effort to make trade with developing countries simpler and more beneficial by reducing costs for UK consumers while encouraging job creation and economic development in partner nations.
The updated scheme features easier rules of origin, allowing countries such as Cambodia, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and the Philippines to export goods to the UK without tariffs, even if some components are sourced from other countries in Asia or Africa.
“These new rules will strengthen trade ties with developing countries,” said Jenny Chapman, UK Minister for International Development. “It’s a win-win for their economies and for businesses and consumers in the UK.”
Introduced in 2023 after Brexit, the DCTS is the UK’s main trade preference programme, covering 65 nations and offering lower or zero tariffs on thousands of products.
The UK is currently Cambodia’s seventh-largest export market. Bilateral trade between the two countries reached about US$ 515 million in the first half of 2025, a 13.2% increase from the same period last year. Cambodia’s exports to the UK rose 14.7% year-on-year, totaling US$ 489 million, according to data from the General Department of Customs and Excise.
