Agreement No. 0782/MOIC on the List of Goods Requiring Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Conformity Certification Prior to Import and Export

This ministerial agreement establishes the definitive list of products subject to Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) conformity assessment before entering or exiting the Lao PDR. Under Article 2, regulated goods must undergo certification, inspection, or verification to ensure compliance with mandatory standards and technical regulations. For imports, Article 4 specifies a detailed table of items—including petroleum products (gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, LPG), electricity meters, water meters, weighing scales, and telecommunications/ICT equipment—identified by their specific Harmonized System (HS) codes and corresponding oversight bodies such as the Department of Standards and Metrology and the Department of Radio Frequency.
The scope of the instrument applies to all domestic and foreign individuals and legal entities engaged in trade. Regarding exports, Article 5 mandates compliance with the regulations of the destination country and international treaties to which Lao PDR is a party. Procedurally, importers and exporters must submit formal applications to the relevant sector authorities for each shipment. The Ministry of Industry and Commerce retains the authority to update the regulated list (Article 6) based on inter-departmental proposals.