agricultural products

The value of the two nations' trade across international entry-points exceeded 58,000 million Bahts last year, an increase of 48%. And border trade totalled more than 47,000 millions, up 25%, with Laos running a deficit of 19,000 million Bahts in across-international entry point trade and almost 22,000 million Bahts in border trade.

Lao officials, however, are optimistic that their trade deficits will be lower this year because many Thai businesses, encouraged by the Thai government's exemption of tariffs on twenty agricultural products from Laos, have signed contracts to purchase more agricultural goods from Laos.

Listen to our Laos Today report for more details.