Lao PDR

The 13th Annual Meeting of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Working Group on Agriculture (WGA) held in Da Nang in July 2016 acknowledged the need for developing a strategy and action plan for promoting safe and environment-friendly agro-based value chains in the GMS. An outline of the strategy and action plan was submitted for notation at the 21st GMS Ministerial Meeting in December 2016. In October 2016, the WGA established the Strategy Drafting Committee responsible for preparing the strategy and action plan through national and regional consultations.

This report presents forest changes in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) over a period of 25 years between 1990 and 2015. It describes key drivers that have affected these changes. Some drivers influenced forests negatively in that they resulted in deforestation and forest degradation. On the other hand, positive drivers promoted sustainable forest management (SFM), afforestation and reforestation and forest conservation.

Under the Core Agricultural Support Program Phase II (CASP II), the countries of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) aim to be recognized as the leading producers of safe food, using climate-friendly agricultural practices, and integration into regional and global markets through the region’s economic corridors.

Agricultural products, products derived from natural resources, or manufactured products are exempted from the payment of Customs duties. However, export duty is payable on certain types of products. The tariff applicable to these products is listed under the relevant HS Commodity classification.