Trade Office works to boost commercial ties with Laos amid COVID-19

At Lao Bao international border gate (Photo: VNA)

The Vietnamese Trade Office in Laos has undertaken an array of measures to support Vietnamese exporters amid the declining trade revenue between the two countries in the first half of this year.

Trade Counsellor at the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos Le Thi Phuong Hoa told the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) that the office has regularly sent lists of Vietnamese exporters to relevant Lao agencies.

Those agencies then inform local enterprises that are seeking Vietnamese goods, Hoa said.

The office has also worked with businesses to address difficulties in goods transportation while coordinating with the Lao Ministry of Industry and Commerce to put forth mechanisms in support of companies.

According to the Counsellor, demand in Laos for production and construction materials and consumer goods has fallen significantly due to the impact of COVID-19.

The pandemic has also obstructed goods transportation and trade promotion activities, she added.

As a result, trade between Vietnam and Laos in the first half of this year was down 14.6 percent year-on-year, reaching just 491.7 million USD.

Vietnam imported goods from Laos worth 214.85 million USD, down 6.1 percent against the same period last year, while exporting 276.85 million USD worth of goods to the neighbouring country, down 20.2 percent./.