Customs Clearance in Cambodia
Import entries into Cambodia are administered by General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE). Cargo typically sits 3–7 days at the gateway before release, and most of that window is documentation rather than physical inspection. We handle the entry itself — classification, valuation, duty and tax settlement, and the release — either as part of a delivered duty-paid movement or as a standalone brokerage service on cargo somebody else is shipping.
Clearance profile — Cambodia
| Customs authority | General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) |
|---|---|
| Duty and tax | VAT 10%; duty 7–35%, with ACFTA and RCEP preference on a Form E |
| De-minimis | No practical de-minimis for commercial cargo |
| Certification | CamControl inspection for regulated goods; Form E for duty preference |
| Typical port dwell | 3–7 days |
| Sea gateways | Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, Phnom Penh Autonomous Port (river) |
| Air gateways | PNH (Phnom Penh), REP (Siem Reap) |
Compiled from the destination customs authority and port operators as a buyer-planning reference. It is not a customs ruling — the binding position depends on your HS heading and the consignee's status.
What we do on the entry
- Classification. We agree the HS heading before the cargo sails, not after it lands. A heading argued at the border costs storage every day it runs.
- Valuation. We build the customs value the way Cambodia expects it — including or excluding freight and insurance according to the local rule, with the supporting evidence attached.
- Entry filing and duty settlement. Lodged in the consignee's name or, where the market allows it, under our own importer arrangement.
- Release and onward delivery. Terminal release, any inspection attendance, and delivery to the door if you want the movement quoted duty-paid.
What actually holds shipments here
Garment and footwear inputs move under specific duty-exemption schemes tied to the factory licence, so the consignee's status changes the landed cost materially. Used goods and secondhand electronics face restrictions.
None of that is unusual, but all of it is easier to resolve before the container sails than after it arrives.
How the lane behaves
Sihanoukville takes direct South China calls, while Phnom Penh is reachable by river barge from Cai Mep in Vietnam — often the cheaper option for LCL. Land trucking through the Bavet crossing from Ho Chi Minh City is a practical third route for urgent cargo that does not justify air.
Documents we will ask for
- Commercial invoice and packing list matching the goods exactly
- Bill of lading or air waybill
- Certificate of origin where a preference is claimed
- Consignee registration or tax identifier for the market
- Product certification, permits or licences where the commodity requires them
Mismatches between the invoice and the transport document are the single most common reason an entry is queried. We check them before filing rather than after a query lands.
Clearing agents in Cambodia
Our entries in Cambodia are filed by licensed local brokers, not sub-contracted blind. If you hold a customs broker licence or AEO authorisation here, we are open to adding capacity — we send referred volume from an ocean freight book that already discharges at your gateways.
The network is vetted rather than open: licence verification with the issuing authority, insurance, two contactable references and supervised trial entries before any unsupervised volume.
Apply to become our Cambodia clearance partner →Freight rates into Cambodia
Clearance is quoted alongside the freight. These are the priced lanes we currently run into this market.
- Shekou to Sihanoukville FCL Ocean Freight Rates | 20GP & 40HQ
- Ship Nansha to Phnom Penh — FCL Container Cost from China
- Ship Nansha to Sihanoukville — FCL Container Cost from China
- Shipping a Container from Shekou to Phnom Penh: Cost & Transit
Destination guide
Gateways, inland legs, port behaviour and seasonal pressure for Cambodia — the background this clearance page assumes.
Cambodia destination guide →Common questions
Who administers customs clearance in Cambodia?
Import entries are administered by General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE).
How long does clearance take in Cambodia?
Cargo typically sits 3–7 days at the gateway. Complete paperwork lodged before arrival is what keeps a shipment at the short end of that range.
What duty and tax applies in Cambodia?
VAT 10%; duty 7–35%, with ACFTA and RCEP preference on a Form E The rate that applies to your shipment depends on the HS heading — send the specification for a firm figure.
Can you clear cargo in Cambodia that you did not ship?
Yes. Brokerage is available as a standalone service on cargo moved by another forwarder, as well as bundled into a duty-paid movement we carry ourselves.
Do you work with local brokers in Cambodia?
Yes — our clearance network is built on vetted local licence holders. Brokers in this market can apply to join through our partner programme.