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Washington Shuts the Door on Solar Exports
Solar cell exports to the US went from what was previously a rounding error to $400+ million in one year. Washington has decided that’s enough and is now closing the door on them. The Commerce Department has decided on a final anti-dumping margin of 65.43%, in addition to countervailing duties that will range from just over 80% to nearly 154%. The companies that brought the case say much of the production is Chinese-owned and was simply relocated to Laos after earlier duties were put on product from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The new rates will force the closure of some or most factories unless they can be retooled for European projects. The International Trade Commission is deciding on October 14 whether the imports caused material injury; a “yes” decision will bring formal duty orders by November 2.
Read more: Reuters (US duties), Nation Thailand (export boom), TechNode Global (factory impact), PV Tech (market outlook), Metal (duty rates)
Hydropower Goes Abroad While Ventilators Stall
Ventilators in Vientiane's main pediatric emergency ward are forced to cut out until local generators kick in, even though Electricite du Laos sends nearly four-fifths of its hydropower abroad, mostly to Thailand and Vietnam. Exports have more than tripled in a decade and resulted in a windfall $2.65 billion in 2023, but much of the power moves over lines built for foreign buyers in favor of the domestic grid (much of which is way laid out in the 1970s). EDL has exempted households using up to 300 kWh a month from their new 10% VAT on electricity through the end of December 2029, which will be little relief as prices have almost doubled over the past year.
Read more: Japan Times (power exports), Laotian Times (VAT break), Laotian Times (battery study)
African Swine Fever Spreads in Xayabouly
African swine fever has killed or forced the culling of more than 5,400 pigs in Xayabouly Province since June. Losses are estimated at LAK 14.9B (~$665,000). Some farmers are apparently persisting in selling meat from dead pigs at cut-rate prices, which is helping the virus to spread. Provincial authorities have tried to stop pig sales and transportation - they’ve set up checkpoints at border crossings and district lines to bring the crisis to a close.
Read more: Laotian Times
Cluster Munitions Summit Opens in Vientiane
More than 800 are meeting in Vientiane for the Third Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Laos is still the most heavily bombed country per person, EVER. US forces dropped about 270 million cluster bombs from 1964 to 1973, and an estimated 80 million failed to explode, and therefore laid dangerously in the soil. Officials reported 25 casualties in 2025, including six deaths that were still caused by decades-old munitions. Globally, the toll is also still rising. The Cluster Munition Monitor reported at least 1,063 people killed or injured last year, and new use was reported in Iran, Myanmar, Russia, Thailand and Ukraine. Delegates to the Conference are expected to come up with a new action plan for 2027 to 2031.
Read more: The Star (conference), Laotian Times (funding), Xinhua (action plan), QDND (Luang Prabang survey), Asian News Network (wartime bombing)
Work Permit Freeze for Bangladeshis
The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare has stopped issuing new work permits, labor visas and labor-import plans for Bangladeshi nationals through the end of this year. The ministry, in its announcement, referenced issues of illegal entry, human smuggling and unauthorized brokers, but did not explain why Bangladeshis specifically were subject to the freeze. Employers who hire without getting approval first will be subject to a LAK 2.5 million ($110) fine per worker. Workers who are caught on unapproved sites could get a LAK 1 million ($44) fine in addition to deportation (employers will have to pay for the trip). Government-approved priority projects with fixed contracts are exempt.
Read more: Laotian Times
Xekong Bauxite Complex Expects 2028 Start
Bigwigs from Vientiane and Hanoi are working out how the Dakcheung bauxite and alumina complex will deal with “red mud”, mining waste and water use before production starts up in 2028. Vietnam-Phuong Group and its subsidiary VLV have been building the Xekong complex since late 2022. The facility is expected to produce a million metric tons of alumina a year at first and double production by 2035. Developers say the plant will create more than 1,000 direct jobs in its first three years. No independent monitoring plan has been announced for Xekong. A separate Bolaven Plateau bauxite venture has been delayed after warnings about displaced communities and lost farmland.
Read more: Laotian Times
Robot Dogs Debut at Peace Train Drills
The sixth "Peace Train" exercise in Vientiane featured search drones, quadruped robot dogs and tracked unmanned vehicles hauling mock casualties through muddy terrain. Chinese state media said it was the first systematic use of equipment like this to the series. A medical train also took advantage of a Chinese AI system to manage triage and treatment planning. As the medics finished up their work, Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun hosted his Lao counterpart Khamlieng Outhakaysone in Beijing for a discussion of defense cooperation, but no results of that dialog have yet been shared.
Read more: China Military (medals), Global Times (robot equipment), Global Times (AI triage), CGTN (Beijing talks)
Hanoi Lines Up Meetings with Vientiane
Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang is in the process of getting his meetings with Laos set for 2027. Plans include an intergovernmental committee session, political consultations and events to celebrate their 65 years of diplomatic ties.
Read more: Qdnd
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