Cambodia moved up four spots to 49 out of 169 countries in a ranking of the world’s most connected nations last year, a study conducted by Germany-based logistics firm DHL said.
Last week, DHL released the fifth edition of its Global Connectedness Index (GCI) – a detailed analysis of globalisation, measured by international flows of trade, capital, information and people – illustrating the size of a country’s international flows relative to its domestic activity. Cambodia’s overall ranking in the 2015 edition was 53rd.
Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL Group, which is the parent company of DHL, said in the report that globalisation has profoundly changed the way people live and today’s world is interconnected like never before.
“For individuals, this can mean greater cultural diversity, as well as more choice, and more opportunity to learn and develop. For businesses, globalisation is opening new markets and opportunities,” Appel said. “For many countries, the move to integrate into cross-border flows is translating into faster development and improved innovation.”
According to the GCI 2018 report, the top 10 countries ranked by their shares of Cambodia’s international flows are – China (17 per cent), Thailand (17 per cent), Vietnam (11 per cent), the US (nine per cent), South Korea (four per cent), Japan (four per cent), Singapore (four per cent), the UK (three per cent), Laos (three per cent) and France (three per cent).
Cambodia is one among four other countries – Malaysia, Mozambique, Singapore and Vietnam – where their international flows most exceeded expectations in the GCI 2018 report.
It added that regional supply chains help explain why four of the top five outperformers are located in Southeast Asia.
Cambodia’s depth rank, which refers to international flows relative to total activity, has risen sharply over the past decade, reaching 27th place in the GCI 2018 report from 46th in 2008.
As a lower-middle-income country, Cambodia has a relatively low predicted depth, but it far exceeded expectations.
According to the 2018 report, the world’s most globally connected countries are the Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, Belgium, the UAE, Ireland, Luxembourg, Denmark, the UK and Germany.
Cambodia Freight Forwarders Association (Camffa) president Sin Chanthy on Monday said the Kingdom has seen advances in transportation and telecommunications systems which have helped to facilitate increased and improved international flows.
Chanthy continued that he expects international trade, capital, information, and people flows will only further increase from their current levels.
“The current flow of goods and people in Cambodia these days reach the world more than in the past, especially in the last two or three years, as we have built a better logistics network with the world."
“Our Cambodian-made products are reaching international markets more. When goods flow more, people come,” he said.
