Thailand
Walmart may be mulling Laos entry, report suggests
A delegation of Lao-Americans met with the Lao Overseas Affairs Department and the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI) last week to discuss investment in Laos, reports Laotian Times.
Led by Lao-American businesswoman Supha Xayprasith-Mays, the delegation arrived in Laos to promote exchanges between the Lao diaspora in the US and businesspeople in Laos.
Xayprasith-Mays holds a senior position with Walmart, a US multinational retail corporation known for its chain of hypermarkets and grocery stores.
She met with LNCCI president Oudet Souvannavong to exchange ideas and discuss the potential for investment in Laos by US businesses.
Prominent Lao-American, Wilaikul International Gold Mine Co Ltd president Viengxay Wilaikul, was also present at the meeting.
Xayprasith-Mays declared her candidacy for governor in her state of Arkansas, the US, in April last year.
The US has invested more than $280 million in Laos through activities including construction, mining, financial and other services.
In the first six months of 2021, the value of trade between Laos and the US reached $157.4 million, including $29.9 million in exports and $127.5 million in imports.
Products exported from Laos to the US include bedding, cushions, lamps, footwear, clothing, pearls, gems, sports equipment, tobacco, electronics and unprocessed coffee.
Meanwhile, Laos imports machinery and other products from the US, as well as wood pulp, electrical equipment, food industry waste, vehicles and auto parts, mechanical equipment, iron and steel products, optical equipment, and plastics.
THE STAR (MALAYSIA)/ASIA NEWS NETWORK