Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Asia & Middle East
Trade in Lao People’s Democratic Republic
| The Lao PDR was the world’s 93rd largest exporter of goods and 130th largest exporter of commercial services in 2021. Export values were $7,695 and $125 million USD respectively. The Lao PDR ’s top export category was fuels and mining products, followed by agricultural products, and manufactures. In 2020, The Lao PDR ‘s main export destination markets for goods and services trade were to Thailand, China and Vietnam. In terms of imports, The Lao PDR ’s import values were $6,275 and $252 million USD respectively in 2021. The Lao PDR ‘s top import category was manufactures, followed by agricultural products and fuels and mining products. Leading import partners were Thailand, China and Vietnam. The Lao PDR is part of 9 different Regional Trade Agreements, such as ASEAN – Australia – New Zealand, ASEAN – China. |
General InformationThis section includes general information on the economy, legal system, official languages and links to additional demographic information. |
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Official Name |
Lao People's Democratic Republic |
Abbreviation |
LA |
Capital |
Vientiane |
WTO Membership Date |
2 February 2013 |
Legal System |
civil law system similar in form to the French system |
Language |
Lao, French, English |
Additional Information | |
Financial InformationThis section includes financial information such as the currency, exchange rate lookup and local banks issuing trade finance. |
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Currency |
Lao kip |
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Exchange Rate |
Google Finance Currencies |
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GTFP Confirming Banks Through the IFC's Global Trade Finance Program (GTFP) bank network, local financial institutions can establish working partnerships with a vast number of major international banks in the Program that can broaden access to finance and reduce cash collateral requirements. This extends and complements the capacity of banks to deliver trade finance by providing risk mitigation on a per-transaction basis in challenging markets where trade lines may be limited. |
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Contact InformationThis section includes contact information for business support organizations and national resources. |
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SPS Enquiry Points Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) enquiry points are government agencies designated to answer questions about trade requirements. |
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TBT Enquiry Points Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) enquiry points are government agencies designated to answer questions about trade requirements. |
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Additional Information |
ePing alert |
Links to other helpful resourcesThis section includes additional links to trade-related resources. |
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National Tariff Finder |
https://laotradeportal.gov.la/index.php?r=tradeInfo/index |
Trade Information Portal |
https://www.laotradeportal.gov.la/index.php?r=site/index |
Last Reviewed: June, 2023
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