PlatôBR: Brazil prepares to open an embassy in Cambodia, where there are 20 Brazilians

Even with an estimated Brazilian community of around 20 people and an accumulated trade deficit exceeding US$260 million since 2020, the Lula administration decided to move forward with opening an embassy in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. The diplomatic mission was officially established after Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira's visit to the country in October 2023 and will be headed by diplomat Vivian Loss Sanmartin, who was questioned by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on May 28 and approved by the full Senate on June 11. The ambassador's nomination has already been accepted by the Cambodian government.

Despite the appointment, the post has not yet become operational. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( MRE ), the embassy will only be activated when the ambassador and a second diplomat designated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are physically in the country. Until then, Brazilian representation in Cambodia will be combined with the embassy in Bangkok, Thailand.

The creation of the new embassy is part of the government's strategy to expand Brazil's presence in Southeast Asia, a region considered a diplomatic priority by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In 2024, Brazil's bilateral trade with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), a bloc of which Cambodia is a member, exceeded US$37 billion, with a surplus of US$15.5 billion, according to the Foreign Ministry. Cambodia will be the sixth country in the region to have a Brazilian embassy, alongside Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand.

This year, Cambodia established its first diplomatic mission in South America with the opening of the country's embassy in Brasília. This is the country's third in the Western Hemisphere.

Trade is up, but the balance is negative

The trade balance between Brazil and Cambodia has consistently been in deficit for Brazil. In 2024, trade flows between the two countries reached US$125 million, a record according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with Brazilian exports totaling US$26.1 million and imports totaling US$98.9 million—a deficit of US$72.8 million.

Official data from the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services ( MDIC ) show that the deficit has been constant over the past five years. Since 2020, Brazil has accumulated a negative trade balance of over US$260 million with Cambodia. In every year during this period, Brazilian exports remained below US$40 million, while imports increased progressively, surpassing US$75 million in 2023 and US$98 million in 2024.

Brazil's purchases are concentrated primarily in textile products, such as t-shirts and pants, while exports include, to a lesser extent, items such as cotton, beef, and paper. According to federal government data, Cambodia ranked 128th among Brazil's top export destinations in June 2025. Among imports, it ranked 76th.

More embassies

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the embassy in Phnom Penh, three other Brazilian diplomatic representations are in the process of being established: an embassy in Sierra Leone and another in Rwanda, in Africa, and a vice-consulate in Cusco, in neighboring Peru.