Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister, Jurin Laksanawisit held a meeting with the Ambassador of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic to Thailand, H.E. Mr. Seng Soukhathivong at the Ministry of Commerce on July 1 to discuss potential cooperation to boost cross border trade between the two countries.
In 2020, trade between the ASEAN neighbours amounted to 197 billion baht (US$6.33 billion), of which 96% was via cross border trade. The target for 2021 is US$11 billion, while actual trade stood at 93.6 billion baht (US$2.92 billion) in the first five months of this year, a 23.6% year-on-year growth.
To promote cross border trade, the governments have planned to open seven more border checkpoints in the post-Covid 19 era.
In the second half of this year, the DITP will host several trade fairs in Lao PDR including Mini Thailand Week 2021 in Tha Khaek, and Thai Seafood Festival in Vientiane.
