Trade between Laos and Vietnam reached USD 1.305 billion during the first six months of 2026, as growing cross-border trade, tourism and infrastructure projects continued to strengthen economic ties between the two neighbouring countries.
According to the Lao Department of Foreign Trade, Laos’ main exports to Vietnam during the period were gold, potassium chloride, and electrical machinery and parts. Its biggest imports from Vietnam included diesel fuel, vehicles, chemical products and precious objects.
The figures come as officials from Laos and Vietnam met in Luang Prabang for the 6th Meeting of the Laos-Vietnam Border Joint Technical Committee, where they reviewed cooperation along the two countries’ shared border.
According to state media, officials said regular coordination between border authorities has helped keep the border stable while supporting trade, investment and local economic development.
During the first half of the year, border forces from both countries carried out 60 joint patrols involving 1,716 personnel. Officials also inspected border markers damaged by natural disasters, discussed improvements to boundary management and construction near the border, and agreed to hold a seminar for village leaders in Savannakhet Province later this September to strengthen cooperation between border communities.
Energy Cooperation Expands
Energy is also becoming a bigger part of the Laos-Vietnam relationship.
In the first quarter of 2026, Laos exported a record 2.92 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity to Vietnam, nearly 120 percent more than during the same period last year as Vietnam’s demand for imported power continued to grow.
The two countries are also expanding future energy cooperation. By the end of 2025, Vietnam had approved electricity imports from 47 Lao power projects with a combined capacity of more than 8,260 megawatts (MW). Projects with a total installed capacity of 2,379 MW were already exporting electricity to Vietnam, up from around 1,700 MW a year earlier.
In May, Laos also signed a concession agreement for the 80 MW Xekaman 4 Hydropower Project in Sekong Province, with all of the electricity generated set to be exported to Vietnam. More hydropower and renewable energy projects are expected to come online in the coming years, further strengthening cross-border electricity trade.
Tourism and Infrastructure
Cooperation between Laos and Vietnam is also growing through tourism and transport.
Vietnam remained Laos’ third-largest source of international visitors during the first half of 2026, with 586,190 arrivals, accounting for 22.6 percent of all foreign tourists entering the country.
The two neighbours are also investing in closer transport links. In May, Vietnam began construction of the Vinh–Thanh Thuy Expressway, a 60-kilometre highway connecting Nghe An Province to the Lao border.
The road will form part of the planned Vientiane-Hanoi Expressway, a cross-border corridor expected to make travel, trade and freight transport between Laos and Vietnam faster and more efficient once completed.
