Vietnam and Laos agree on customs cooperation priorities for 2027
The two customs authorities plan to expand information sharing, coordinate border controls and prioritise requests involving drugs and drug precursors.
Vietnamese and Lao customs officials agreed on priorities for their 2027 cooperation at a conference in Laos from October 25 to 27. According to Vietnam's Customs Department, the plans include closer information sharing to support border controls and cross-border trade.
The Vietnamese delegation was led by Nguyen Van Tho, director general of the Customs Department. His Lao counterpart, Phoukhaokham Vannavongxay, chaired the meeting, which also assessed work carried out under the 2026 cooperation plan.
The authorities agreed to give continued priority to checking and supplying information requested for investigations, particularly those concerning drugs and drug precursors. They will also update contact details for regional departments and border-gate units to help officials coordinate and handle cases promptly.
Both sides committed to carrying out their 2027 plan and maintaining agreements covering statistical exchanges and information used in anti-smuggling investigations. Customs offices in provinces along their shared border will strengthen cooperation through an agreed regional mechanism.
The review covered training for Lao customs officers in goods classification, valuation and rules of origin, alongside exchanges on organisational structures and Party affairs. A professional exchange on post-clearance audits is scheduled for November 16 to 20.
The two customs chiefs signed meeting minutes to guide cooperation in 2027 and agreed to strengthen oversight of the measures.
