European Commission Directorate-General for Trade

Laos

The EU works closely with Laos under the framework of the EU-ASEAN Cooperation Agreement to ensure an effective environment for trade and investment relations.

 

 

 

Trade picture

In 2017:

• Total trade between the two partners equaled € 353 million.
• The EU ranked as the 4th biggest trade partner of Laos. The EU imported goods worth € 235 million from Laos. EU imports from Laos are dominated by textiles, clothing and agricultural products.
• The EU exported goods worth almost €118 million to Laos. EU exports to Laos are dominated by machinery.

EU and Laos

As a Least Developed Country (LDC) Laos benefits from the most favourable regime available under the EU's Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP), namely the Everything But Arms (EBA) scheme. The EBA scheme gives the 47 Least Developed Countries – including Laos – duty free access to the EU for exports of all products, except arms and ammunition.

Laos and ASEAN

Laos is one of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The countries as a group are the EU's second largest trading partners outside Europe, after China.

The ASEAN region is a dynamic market with some 640 million consumers. Laos is one of the three Least Developed Countries in ASEAN.

The EU co-operates with ASEAN as a whole. Cooperation is maintained through the EU-ASEAN Dialogue which includes discussions on trade and investment issues at ministerial and senior economic official level.

More information on ASEAN

Trading with Laos

• Rules and requirements for trading with Laos
  • Importing into the EU from Laos
    • EU trade defence measures on imports from Laos
  • Exporting from the EU to Laos
    • Export rules on food and plant health
    • Trade defence measures in force in Laos
• The EU is present on the ground in Laos
• Trade relations are part of the EU's overall political and economic relations  with Laos
• Laos is a member of the World Trade Organisation as from 2 February 2013.