Cambodia exported products worth 11.7 billion U.S. dollars in the first eight months of 2020, up 18 percent over the same period last year, said a report released by the Ministry of Economy and Finance Wednesday.

Topping the list of export items were gold, milled rice, bicycles, electrical appliances and agricultural produce such as legumes, cashew nuts and bananas, the report said.

During the January-August period this year, the exports of gold, milled rice, bicycles, and electrical appliances rose by 716 percent, 23 percent, 27 percent and 22 percent, respectively if compared to the same period last year, it said, adding that the export of gold was valued at 2.22 billion U.S. dollars.

"During the first eight months of 2020, Cambodia's export is still on the rise even though the world's economy is expected to experience negative growth and our trading partners have been facing challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic," the report said.

On the import side, the Southeast Asian nation shipped in goods worth 11.8 billion U.S. dollars during the first eight months of this year, down 11.6 percent over the same period last year, it added.

Cambodian's major trading partners include European countries, the United States, China, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia.