Japan and Cambodia signed an agreement on Saturday for Japan to loan Cambodia over USD 300 million to expand the Sihanoukville Port New Container Terminal.
The Phnom Penh Post reports that the agreement and related documents were signed at the Peace Palace in the Hague, Netherlands, by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of each country, with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen presiding.
The foreign affairs ministry of Cambodia stated that the loan will make the port into “a principle deep-sea port for Cambodia and the region.”
The expansion of sea ports like Sihanoukville is one way for Southeast Asia to address issues with the global supply chain, which have been exacerbated by the pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine.
These problems with the global supply chain contribute to inflation both domestically and globally.