Laos's trade deficit expanded to US$211m in the first six months of 2010/11 as imports increased. According to the planning and investment ministry, Laos imported goods worth just over US$1bn in the period, while exports amounted to US$836m. The value of imports amounted to 83% of the planned total for the fiscal year and represented year-on-year growth of 48%. Goods imported for investment projects accounted for 28% of the total value of imports, while the rest were consumer goods, including fuel, vehicles and spare parts. The value of exports reached 68% of the planned total for 2010/11, and saw a 15% year-on­year increase. Copper exports, which rose by 2%, covered 28% of the total export value.

India has put into place a duty-free tariff preference scheme for least developed countries that grants Laos duty-free access to 94% of India's tariff lines. In addition, the India-ASEAN trade in goods agreement, which was recently ratified by Laos, provides duty-free access to Lao products for the remaining 6% of India's tariff lines. Bilateral trade between the two countries is still relatively small, but is expected to pick up in the next five years as India looks to develop relationships in South-east Asia. According to the industry and commerce ministry, Indian entrepreneurs have invested about US$354m in Laos in the past ten years, mainly in agriculture, industry, education and services, and India has also granted substantial loans to Laos in the past two years.

Australia is providing A$3m (US$3m) over three years to help Laos adjust to the Australia and New Zealand Free-Trade Agreement (AANZFTA), which came into force for Laos at the start of 2011. Lao trade officials and exporters will have the opportunity to learn about the AANZFTA rules of origin and how to prove qualification for substantial tariff reductions. Laos has special privileges when exporting to Australia and New Zealand. Bilateral trade between Laos and Australia since 2008/09 has generated A$15m, but Lao exports represented only A$1m of this. Laos imports specialised machinery and parts, cereals, wine and fabrics from Australia and exports clothing, wood, handicrafts, and measuring and analytical instruments.