ID :
17350
Fri, 08/29/2008 - 11:12
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Laos, Thailand trade to jump more than US$ 900 million

Laos, Thailand trade to jump more than US$ 900 million

(KPL) Lao government officials said that on the completion of the construction of Road 3 and the operation of the Lao-Thai railway the trade between the two countries, Laos and Thailand would increase and that it would breach the US$ 900 million limit in 2009.
Lao government officials said that the construction of Laos’s first highway, R3a road was completed in 2007. They also said it should contribute to the economic development of the northern provinces and facilitate economic and commercial exchanges with neighboring countries, China and Thailand.
Mr Seng Aloun, an officer from the Foreign Trade Policy Department, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said that the development of this infrastructure is a key factor in boosting trade, investment and tourism among the three countries, Laos, Thailand and China.
He said that Last year, the cooperation on trade between Laos and Thailand met more than US$ 800 million, in which Laos exported the furniture, agricultural, garment and semi-copper products to Thailand with US$ 290 million. At the same time Laos imported various goods from Thai, which was estimated about US$ 651 million.
Now Thai goods covered 60% of Lao market, most of them are consumed goods, agricultural tools and usage goods, the rest is covered by Vietnamese and Chinese goods.
He added that in the future the cooperation on trade between Laos and Thailand will increase more than US$ 900 million, after roads and Mekong River bridges completed.
According to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Laos 228-kilometre highway, a portion of a road running from Kunming of China through Lao northern provinces of Luang Namtha and Bokeo to Thailand was opened to use officially at the beginning of this year after three years’ construction.
The project was divided into three packages where by the first received US$28 million from the Chinese Government for the building of a 67.7 kilometre portion, which was put in to it.
The second package provided for the building of 77 kilometre with a US$ 16.5 loan from the Asian Development Bank while the rest received 823 million Thai bath (US$26 million) for construction of 84 kilometre.

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