Economy and commerce

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) – The government has given the green light for Chinese companies to develop trade-facilitation related infrastructure and invest in agriculture with a view to bolstering exports to China.The move is part of the government’s preparations to capitalise on the US$5.9-billion Laos-China railway, ...

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) – Laos recently began shipping the first 1,100 tonnes of polished rice to China as part of a 50,000-tonne export quota agreement between the Lao government and China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corporation (COFCO).This first shipment is being transported in July ...

China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC) announced on July 4 that watermelons from Laos conforming to phytosanitary protocols can now be imported into China—adding a new source for watermelons during China’s off-season. The phytosanitary protocols for import of Laotian watermelons to China were signed in ...

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) – Eleven fuel companies that are given registrations to import fuel must complete all the business improvement measures stipulated in Prime Minister’s Decree No. 331 by November, a senior official at the Petroleum and Gas Association has said.The authorities plan to conduct ...

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times) – The Bank of the Lao PDR (BOL) last week appointed the former Director General of the International Cooperation Department, Mr Oth Phonxiengdy, as the new CEO of the Lao Stock Exchange (LSX).The former CEO of the LSX, Mr Vankham Voravong, will ...

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) – Laos may have to import more agricultural produce to meet the growing demand for fresh fruit and vegetables.The Aussie Lao fresh market in Sikhottabong district, which is one of the largest markets in Vientiane, may have to sell more imported products, ...

Japanese electronics giant Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has set up a new subsidiary in Laos amid growing demand in the country for elevators and escalators.MELCO Elevator Lao, which began its operation on July 1, is expected to beef up Mitsubishi Electric’s sales of elevators and escalators ...

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) – Thailand is looking to expand its exports by selling electrical and electronic products to Asean countries, especially Laos.The export value of electrical equipment from January to May this year stood at 326,934 million baht, an increase of 0.92 percent compared to ...

Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow to Laos decreased in 2018 amid a drop in new investment from China, a recent report has shown.FDI inflow to Laos last year stood at USD 1.3 billion, a 17 percent drop from the previous year, according to the World Investment ...

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) – The injection of bank credit into the economy continues to slow despite government measures to improve the investment climate for the private sector. According to a recent government report, credit growth further moderated to 3.13 percent over the past three months of this ...