Washington, D.C. – February 5, 2026 – The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has issued a final rule officially removing Cambodia from Country Group D:5, a designation that imposed strict restrictions on exports of weapons and related technologies.

Cambodia has officially accepted U.S. President Donald Trump’s invitation to join as a founding member of the “Board of Peace”, a diplomatic initiative launched in early January 2026.

The official invitation extended in early January 2026 by U.S. President Donald J. Trump to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet to join, as a founding member, the newly created “Board of Peace” has caused a minor diplomatic shockwave in a Southeast Asia already rife with strategic tensions.

Parady La, a 46-year-old Cambodian refugee who arrived in the United States as a child, died on January 9, 2026, at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, after just three days in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Announced in mid-January 2026 in Phnom Penh by Assistant Secretary of State Michael George DeSombre during his meeting with Prime Minister Hun Manet, this aid continues Donald Trump’s Indo-Pacific commitments, complementing broader pledges of 45 million dollars for Cambodia.

The Thai Air Force’s F-16 fighters come exclusively from the United States and have for decades formed the backbone of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF). These versatile aircraft, acquired in batches since 1988, embody a strategic alliance born during the Cold War and still alive today.

Within the ASEAN+3, Cambodia appears as the economy most exposed to the commercial tightening by the United States, both through the structure of its exports and by its degree of dependence on final American demand. In an environment where every additional tariff point can translate into job losses and squeezed margins, the Cambodian model of export-driven industrialization faces a resistance test of unprecedented scale.

The United States imposed a 19% tariff on all goods imported from Cambodia on August 1, 2025, marking a major turning point in bilateral trade policy. This measure, negotiated after months of tensions, was hailed by the Cambodian government as a relative victory, avoiding the catastrophic scenario of a 36% tariff that could have paralyzed the country's export economy.

In a context that is causing waves in the industrial strongholds of Southeast Asia, the United States will impose tariffs of 36% on all Cambodian exports, particularly textiles and footwear, starting on 1 August 2025. Arnaud Darc reacts live on TV5 Monde.

Arnaud Darc, a leading figure in the Cambodian business community, has emerged as a vocal critic of the US approach, arguing that these tariffs are more a means of geopolitical pressure than a desire to ensure fair trade.

Cambodia and the United States have concluded the first round of negotiations on a reciprocal trade agreement, held May 13-15, 2025 in Washington, D.C. The discussions were characterized by “frank and constructive exchanges, reflecting a mutual commitment to strengthening bilateral trade and investment relations.”

President of the Senate has demanded that the U.S. stop including Cambodia in its geopolitical strategy. He also wants them to stop viewing