On November 7, 2025, the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) issued a Final Rule amending 22 C.F.R. § 126.1 to remove the Kingdom of Cambodia as a proscribed country under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Effective immediately, requests for the export of defense articles and services to Cambodia will now be considered on a case-by-case basis.
For years, the United States had prohibited exports and sales of defense articles and services to Cambodia absent a license from DDTC, and any license application was reviewed under a policy of denial. Pursuant to the final rule, “[b]ased on Cambodia’s diligent pursuit of peace and security, including through renewed engagement with the United States on defense cooperation and combating transnational crime, the Secretary of State made a determination to lift the embargo on defense trade with Cambodia.”
This action comes after the United States and Cambodia reached a trade deal on October 26, 2025. See Thompson Hine Update of October 28, 2025.