The objective of this study is twofold: First, (a) it evaluates the outcomes and outputs of technical assistance to SEZs in Laos; (b) it assesses the relevance of those results to the objectives of sustainable economic growth and job creation; and (c) it identifies any shortcomings that still...

Laos benefits from the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA). The Agreement has eliminated tariffs on 90% of Australia’s and New Zealand’s imports, with the remaining tariff lines to be removed by 2020. For Laos, it provides for a much longer transition period for eliminating...

China is the second most important export destination of Laos, and export growth to that market has far outpaced exports to Thailand, the leading export destination. One of the major drivers of this growth is the comprehensive ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) under which Lao benefits in...

Laos benefits from the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement in Goods (AIFTA) by gaining preferential access to the large Indian market. Under the Agreement, India commits to eliminating customs duties on imports for 90% of its tariff lines under two separate lists: one being completed by the end of...

The study supports Government efforts to introduce reforms to the insurance industry and its negotiations for accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). It provides a consolidated perspective about insurance services in Laos, with particular reference to the impact of possible Government...

The ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (AJCEP) offers duty-free treatment on most of Japan’s imports to Lao producers and exporters. This type of preferential treatment has contributed to the rapid rise of Lao exports to that country – nearly 30% a year in the last...

This study on resource exports evaluates the potential impact of resource-led export growth on the external sector as a whole and its feed-through effects on the production of domestic goods and the services industries. Of particular importance is the implications of those resource exports on...