Minister of Industry and Commerce Malaythong Komasith on Feb 20 received a courtesy call from a Chinese delegation led by Mr. Li Chenyang, Director General of the Commerce Department of Yunnan Province, China.
The two focused their discussion on how to promote trade cooperation, especially the export of agricultural products from Laos to China, and facilitate the cross-border transport.
Mr. Malaythong Kommasith also spoke highly of the cooperation and assistance from the Government of the People’s Republic of China to the Lao PDR noting that such cooperation and assistance demonstrates the Laos-China partnership.
The main goods imported by the Lao PDR in 2022 included: machinery, electrical appliances and equipment, car parts, steel. Meanwhile, mixed gold, gold bars, bananas, gold ores, iron ores, wood and furniture products, paper and paper products, fertilizer (fertilizer), latex, and fruits (melon, walnut, tamarind) were exported to China.
China is the second largest trade partner of the Lao PDR. The bilateral trade between the two neigbours between 2018 and 2022 reached 15.9 billion dollars, an average increase of 15.63% per year.
On Feb 20, the two countries reopened the Lantui-Jiang Chen international border checkpoint in Phongsaly in line with China’s revised policy on Covid-19 prevention and control.
Source: Lao News Agency