(Siem Bouk, Stung Treng): Cambodia's cashew nut sector has reached a significant export milestone, with HCST INVESTMENT CO., LTD. (HCST) successfully exporting its yprocessed cashew nuts directly to Whitworths, a leading dried fruit, nut, and seed company in the United Kingdom, for the first time.

To mark the achievement and further strengthen the emerging export partnership, Samheng Bora, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Commerce and Chairman of the Export Promotion Task Force (EPTF), led a delegation to HCST's production and processing facilities in Stung Treng Province on Wednesday (Aug. 12).

The achievement marks an important step in connecting Cambodia's locally processed agricultural products with high-value international markets. The partnership between HCST and Whitworths has also contributed to the improvement of HCST's production standards and processing practices, helping the enterprise meet international quality and food safety requirements and strengthen buyer confidence in Cambodian cashew products.

At the same time, this export process has further benefited from technical support from the UK Government (via the British Embassy in Cambodia and the UK Trade Partnership program - UKTP), as well as from the European Union and Germany (through the Export Lab - EU German GATE project), aiming to boost the capacity of local enterprises to compete globally.

The breakthrough follows nearly two years of market-linkage efforts, business engagement, and negotiations facilitated by Cambodia's Ministry of Commerce.

The process began on 1 October 2024, when the ministry opened discussions with Natalia Pietrzak-Freigant, Director of Commodities at Whitworths, who expressed interest in sourcing cashew nuts from Cambodia.

On 28 April 2025, Whitworths representatives met with the Ministry of Commerce in Cambodia to further explore cooperation, strengthen confidence in Cambodian agricultural products, and discuss arrangements for a direct assessment of HCST's processing facility.

Momentum continued on 11 December 2025, when a Cambodian trade delegation undertook a trade mission to establish direct links between Cambodian exporters and international buyers. The engagement further advanced discussions between HCST and Whitworths and contributed to the subsequent finalization of purchase orders.

This milestone demonstrates the potential of Cambodia's cashew sector to move beyond raw commodity exports toward higher-value processed products that can compete in demanding international markets. It also highlights the importance of sustained government facilitation, private-sector partnerships, and technical support in connecting Cambodian enterprises with global buyers.

The Ministry of Commerce said it remains committed to strengthening market linkages, improving export readiness, and supporting Cambodian enterprises in meeting international market requirements, thereby creating greater opportunities for Cambodian agricultural products and producers to participate in global value chains.
=FRESH NEWS