On 5 February 2026, at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Vientiane Capital, the Department of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, in its capacity as the Secretariat of the National Trade and Transport Facilitation Committee, in collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), organized a seminar entitled on Advancing Cross-Border Paperless Trade. The seminar was co-chaired by Mrs. Kingsadone Phetdaoheuang, Director General of the Department of Foreign Trade, and Mr. Yann Duval, Chief of the Trade Policy and Facilitation Section, Trade, Investment and Innovation Division, ESCAP. Participants included representatives from relevant departments, line agencies, and both public and private sector were attended as well.
The seminar aimed to consult and discuss progress and challenges in the implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement under World Trade Organization (WTO-TFA) and initiatives related to cross-border paperless trade. It also served to present the results of the Lao PDR’s Cross-Border Paperless Trade Readiness Assessment, which was officially disseminated for the first time following the completion of the report in mid of 2022. In addition, aimed to enhance participants in-depth understanding of the importance of Cross-border Paperless Trade Agreement, as well as its content and benefits
During the seminar, presentations on Laos’ trade facilitation priorities, modernized implementation and procedures of custom, as well as challenges in implementing cross-border paperless trade initiatives were presented and discussed in group panel.
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