Bavet, right on the border with Vietnam, hosts several special economic zones with factories producing garments, footwear, bicycles, travel goods and other products for export. For many of them, the fastest route to North America runs through Vietnam, not through Cambodia's own seaport.
Why ship via Vietnamese ports
- Cat Lai and Cai Mep are only a few hours away by truck.
- Cai Mep offers direct mainline services to the US West and East Coasts.
- More sailings mean more flexibility and often shorter total transit times.
How the route works
- Cambodian export clearance at the factory or SEZ customs office.
- Trucking across Bavet – Moc Bai, usually as transit cargo through Vietnam under customs control.
- Delivery to the port, container loading and export from Vietnam.
- Ocean freight to the US or Canada, then import clearance and delivery.
Origin stays Cambodian
Goods manufactured in Cambodia remain of Cambodian origin when they transit Vietnam without further processing. Documents — invoice, packing list, origin marking — must consistently show "Made in Cambodia". Any processing in Vietnam would change the analysis; see origin and transshipment rules.
DDP to North America
For US and Canadian buyers, we can combine Cambodian export, Vietnam transit, ocean freight and destination clearance into one DDP service. Read more in shipping from Cambodia to the USA and Canada.