Elevating trade promotion

Under Vietnam's 2026 National Trade Promotion Program, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Laos will co-host the Viet-Lao Trade Fair 2026 (VIETLAO EXPO 2026). The event will be jointly organised by the trade promotion agencies of both countries, in coordination with relevant authorities, from July 16 to 20, 2026, in Vientiane, Laos.

Since its inception in 2007, the fair has become Vietnam's largest trade promotion event in the Lao market.

Building on the success of previous editions, VIETLAO EXPO 2026 will be larger in scale and higher in quality than recent years. The exhibition will feature 250 standard booths, including 120 booths representing nearly 80 Vietnamese enterprises showcasing high-quality, reputable products across a wide range of sectors, including pharmaceuticals and medical equipment; agriculture, forestry, fisheries and processed food; garments and fashion; handicrafts and interior and exterior decoration; chemicals; and consumer goods; to name but a few.

The products on display will offer diverse designs, extensive product categories, and high quality to meet consumer demand in both markets.

Among the leading Vietnamese companies participating are several National Brand enterprises, including Vietnam National Chemical Group (Vinachem) with ten member companies, Vinamilk, TH Food Chain Joint Stock Company, Viet Tiep Lock Joint Stock Company, and Hoa Linh Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company.

Provincial pavilions from localities such as Quang Ninh, Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, and Ninh Binh will also showcase high-quality regional specialties and One Commune One Product (OCOP) products, highlighting the distinctive products of different regions across Vietnam.

Vietnamese businesses participating in the fair aim to promote Vietnam's national image and corporate brands, expand exports and distribution networks in Laos and Thailand's northeastern provinces, and showcase the strengths and potential of Vietnamese enterprises across multiple industries. The exhibition will serve as an effective platform for trade organisations, manufacturers and investors from both countries to exchange experience, transfer technology, pursue investment opportunities, and establish joint ventures and partnerships.

A notable feature of VIETLAO EXPO 2026 is its expanded focus beyond traditional product categories such as agricultural and aquatic products, processed food, garments, and consumer goods. The fair will also provide substantial exhibition space for high-value, technology-intensive industries that align with Laos development priorities, including electrical and electronic products, industrial machinery and equipment, advanced pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and trade and investment services.

Beyond product displays, the fair will feature a series of business-to-business (B2B) matchmaking sessions, creating direct connections between Vietnamese manufacturers and Lao distributors, agents, and potential partners to help build sustainable supply chains. Market survey Programs will enable businesses to gain deeper insights into Laos' domestic distribution system, while conferences and cultural performances will further enrich the event and attract visitors.

To maximise trade promotion effectiveness for businesses from both countries, the organising committee has worked closely with relevant agencies to implement comprehensive publicity campaigns. Information about the fair has been disseminated to local trade promotion organisations and industry associations in both Vietnam and Laos, encouraging them to attend and conduct business at the event. Large-scale outdoor advertisements have also been installed across central Vientiane, the international airport, supermarkets, the Laos - Thailand border crossings, as well as through official media channels in Laos and Thailand's Nong Khai Province.

Advancing Vietnam - Laos cooperation

In recent years, Vietnam - Laos relations have continued to strengthen steadily. During the state visit by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and State President To Lam to Laos on the occasion of the country's 50th National Day anniversary in 2025, the two countries senior leaders agreed to elevate bilateral relations to a new level under the guiding principle of "great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic connectivity."This reflects their shared vision, intertwined strategic interests, and long-term commitment to sustainable development, self-reliance, and shared prosperity.

During Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone's official visit to Vietnam and attendance at the ASEAN Future Forum 2026 from June 7 to 9, 2026, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone agreed to further deepen the special friendship between the two countries, accelerate strategic infrastructure connectivity, expand economic cooperation, and strive to raise bilateral trade to USD 10 billion by 2030.

Economic cooperation has consistently been one of the brightest highlights of Vietnam - Laos relations, recording impressive growth over the years. For Vietnam, Laos remains an important gateway for expanding into ASEAN markets. The two countries enjoy close geographical proximity, convenient transport links, and similar cultural and consumer characteristics.

Sharing a border of more than 2,300 kilometres, spanning nine Vietnamese provinces and cities and ten Lao provinces, the border region holds considerable development potential and occupies a strategic position along the East-West Economic Corridor. The Vietnam - Laos border currently includes nine international border gates, six main border gates, 18 auxiliary border gates, 27 border crossings, and nine border economic zones, providing significant opportunities for cross-border trade and investment.

The effective utilisation of preferential arrangements under the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), the Vietnam-Laos Bilateral Trade Agreement, and the Vietnam - Laos Border Trade Agreement has further promoted trade in goods and services between the two countries.

According to customs statistics, bilateral trade between Vietnam and Laos reached USD 2.98 billion in 2025, representing a 32.7% increase compared with 2024. This marks the highest level ever recorded, demonstrating the strong recovery in bilateral trade and the positive impact of policies aimed at facilitating trade and strengthening supply chain connectivity.

Trade between the two countries remained highly dynamic during the first half of 2026, laying the groundwork for major trade promotion activities later in the year. During the first five months of 2026, total bilateral merchandise trade officially surpassed USD 1 billion.

At a meeting held in Hanoi on March 20, 2026, between Vietnam's Minister of Industry and Trade Le Manh Hung and Laos' Minister of Industry and Commerce Malaithong Kommasith, both ministers agreed to strive for USD 4 billion in bilateral trade during 2026.

Regarding investment, as of the end of April 2026, Laos remained the largest recipient of Vietnam's outbound investment, attracting more than USD 6.6 billion, accounting for 26.8% of Vietnam's total overseas investment. Vietnamese enterprises have invested across almost all Lao provinces in sectors including hydropower, mining, high-tech agriculture, telecommunications (Unitel), banking, and others.

Many Vietnamese investment projects in Laos are operating effectively, making meaningful contributions to the country's socio-economic development by creating employment, improving incomes for thousands of workers, increasing state budget revenues, and contributing nearly USD 160 million to social welfare Programs.

Amid increasingly deep international integration, industrial, trade, and investment cooperation between Vietnam and Laos has become ever more important and should continue to be strengthened. To promote further cooperation, the two governments have tasked the ministries responsible for industry and trade with advancing and upgrading existing trade agreements while developing transport and commercial infrastructure to facilitate bilateral import and export activities.

Against this backdrop, the annual Viet - Lao Trade Fair, held continuously since 2007, has served not only as an effective platform for enterprises and investors from both countries to exchange experience, transfer technology, pursue investment cooperation, and establish joint ventures and business partnerships, but also as a significant political, economic, and social event that reinforces the longstanding special friendship between the Parties, Governments, and peoples of Vietnam and Laos under the guiding principle of "great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and strategic connectivity."