The province’s Plan No. 94/KH-UBND, issued on October 14, 2025, sets a goal of achieving an average annual trade growth rate of 17% between 2025 and 2030, withCambodia positioned as a key import–export market. The plan outlines the development of modern, sustainable border trade aligned with international integration standards.
Strong growth momentum
Between 2021 and 2024, Gia Lai’s import–export turnover with Cambodia rose 1.7 times, averaging 23% annual growth. Since the beginning of 2025, total trade through Le Thanh has reached an estimated $205 million, underscoring the growing potential of this border corridor.
Le Thanh Border Gate serves as a strategic gateway connecting Gia Lai’s logistics and transportation networks to other major border gates across the region, including Bo Y, Bu Prang, Hoa Lu, and Moc Bai. This location enables the province to become a transshipment hub for key exports such as timber, rubber, coffee, and pepper to Cambodia and other ASEAN markets.
Complementary trade structure
According to Duong Minh Duc, Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, the trade structure between Gia Lai and Cambodia reflects strong complementarity. Gia Lai mainly exports breeding stock, consumer goods, agricultural materials, and electricity, while importing cashew nuts, cassava chips, rubber, and other raw agricultural products.
“This forms a favorable foundation for both sides to expand trade cooperation toward a sustainable supply chain,” Mr. Duc said.
Expanding cooperation and trade promotion
Gia Lai’s Department of Industry and Trade has partnered with Ratanakiri Province (Cambodia) and relevant Vietnamese sectors to promote bilateral trade through activities such as annual border fairs, trade conferences, and export promotion programs. These efforts aim to connect businesses in Vietnam’s Central Highlands with partners in southern Laos and northeastern Cambodia.
Despite the progress, Mr. Duc noted that border trade remains small in scale. The number of enterprises engaged in cross-border business is limited, and product diversity is still low. Many firms have yet to view Cambodia as a long-term strategic market.
Investment and infrastructure challenges
Nguyen Nhu Trinh, Deputy Head of the provincial Economic Zone Management Board, said that most projects in the Le Thanh area are small-scale and focus on agricultural processing and commercial services, producing mostly semi-finished goods with low added value. Sparse population on both sides of the border also limits market activity.
Leveraging agricultural strengths
Gia Lai’s vast land area, well-connected transport network, and abundant agricultural output provide major opportunities for export growth. The province produces large volumes of coffee, rubber, pepper, cassava, cashew nuts, bananas, durian, and passion fruit, with strong potential for deep processing.
Phan Ba Kien, Director of BaKa Co., Ltd., emphasized cooperation with Cambodian partners in developing raw material zones and processing specialty agricultural products. “We wish to build a supply chain for coffee and uniquely processed goods,” he said.
Future targets and key export products
By 2030, Gia Lai aims to diversify its export portfolio with key products such as processed seafood (fish, shrimp, dried squid), construction materials (cement, granite, bricks), processed agricultural goods (cashew nuts, macadamia, vermicelli, rice products), fresh fruits, poultry, textiles, petroleum, and electricity.
Imports will focus mainly on raw cashew nuts and rubber latex.
Currently, Gia Lai has about 400 export enterprises, including over 100 in wood products, 40 in textiles, 26 in agricultural products, and 7 in seafood. These businesses form the core force for expanding into Cambodia, particularly in processed agriculture, construction materials, textiles, food, and fuel.
Strengthening connectivity and logistics
To realize these goals, the Department of Industry and Trade plans to continue promoting trade programs, fairs, and exhibitions, while enhancing brand promotion and developing distribution networks. Vietnamese products are expected to reach major Cambodian supermarket chains such as Chip Mong, Aeon Mall, Bayon, and Lucky.
The department will also collaborate with e-commerce platforms to establish online booths for Vietnamese goods on Cambodian sites and vice versa, extending market access to remote regions and reducing dependence on traditional retail.
Additionally, investments will focus on logistics infrastructure, including warehouses, bonded zones, inland ports, and industrial parks within the Le Thanh Economic Zone, ensuring seamless connection to expressways and seaports.