According to local media reports in Laos, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Laos asked China to consider providing a 50,000-ton rice import quota this week while accepting other Lao industrial products as part of bilateral trade.

During a meeting held in Vientiane on the 19th, Khemmany, the Minister of Ministry of Industry and Trade, held talks with a Chinese delegation led by Ning Jizhe, the Deputy Director of China’s National Development and Reform Commission. Khemmany took this opportunity to ask China to consider import quota for Lao products this year, especially rice, rubber (12445, 40.00, 0.32%) and other industrial and agricultural products.

Previously, with the approval of China’s National Development and Reform Commission, China Xuanye (Laos) Co., Ltd. delivered 20,000 tons of rice to China in 2017.

Khemmany also called on the visiting Chinese delegation to further consider the Lao request to the Ministry of Commerce of China, especially the import quota for Lao rice, rubber, tobacco planted in Fong Sali and other industrial products.

At the invitation of Laos, the Chinese delegation paid an official working visit to Laos as part of efforts to promote bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Ning Jizhe also told Khemmany that the Chinese delegation’s visit to Laos was to encourage the implementation of various project agreements signed between Laos and China. “Most importantly, our goal is to promote the sustainable construction of the China-Laos railway project and the China-Laos economic corridor development project.” He also called on the minister of Ministry of Industry and Trade of Laos to assist in coordinating with other relevant ministers to shorten the process of importing machinery and other construction equipment for railway projects.

Khemmany said that the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Laos will work hard to promote domestic coordination to ensure that the implementation framework of the two countries will proceed as planned.” In addition, the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Laos and the China National Development and Reform Commission need to study the framework of the China-Laos economic corridor development project.”

According to Khemmany, Laos exported more than 55,000 tons of sugar to the Chinese market in 2018, and is expected to export 100,000 tons of sugar to China this year. In order to ensure food security, Laos is expected to produce about 5 million tons of rice by 2020. (Source: Agricultural Products Futures Network)