PHNOM PENH, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's total imports of diesel fuel, gasoline, and combustion gas reached 2.82 billion U.S. dollars in the first nine months of 2026, marking a 53.8 percent surge from 1.84 billion dollars during the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Commerce on Friday.
A breakdown of the data shows the kingdom spent 1.47 billion dollars on diesel fuel from January to September, a 48 percent year-on-year increase. Gasoline imports jumped 76 percent to 1.04 billion dollars, while combustion gas expenditures rose 23 percent to 314 million dollars.
Thong Mengdavid, deputy director of the China-ASEAN Studies Center at the Cambodia University of Technology and Science, attributed the spike to a mix of domestic and international factors.
"Rising industrial production, expanding transport and logistics networks, and heightened electricity demand are key drivers of this surge," he told Xinhua.
He noted that the country's accelerating economic momentum is colliding with global fuel price hikes triggered by ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
According to data from the Ministry of Commerce, on Friday, the retail price of regular gasoline stood at 5,150 riels (1.27 dollars) per liter, a 33.7 percent surge compared to pre-Middle East conflict levels. Meanwhile, diesel prices reached 5,650 riels (1.39 dollars) per liter, marking a 46.7 percent spike.
Cambodia currently relies entirely on petroleum imports, as the Southeast Asian nation has yet to exploit its offshore oil and gas reserves. ■