G/TBT/2/Add.111  
 
20 November 2013  
(13-6380)  Page: 1/3  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE  
AGREEMENT ON TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE 
COMMUNICATION FROM LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC 
Addendum 
The following statement under Article 15.2 of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade has 
been received from Lao Peop le's Democratic Republic. 
 
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 1  INTRODUCTION 
1.1.  Pursuant to Article 15.2 of the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT 
Agreement) and Lao PDR's commitments in paragr aph 115 to 125 of the Report of the Working 
Party on the Accession of Lao PDR, the Government  of the Lao People's Democratic Republic would 
like to inform the Committee on Technical Barriers  to Trade of the following measures which have 
been in existence or taken to ensure the im plementation and administration of the TBT 
Agreement. 
2  CONSISTENCY OF LAO PDR'S TECHNICAL REGULATIONS, STANDARDS AND 
CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES WITH THE TBT AGREEMENT  
2.1.  Lao PDR's technical regulations, standards and conformity assessment procedures will be 
formulated and adopted to fulfil those legitimate objectives which are in line with the TBT 
Agreement and the Lao PDR's Law on Standardization built upon key provisions of the TBT 
Agreement by setting out the framework for standards (Articles 19 and 21), technical regulations (Articles 28 and 29), and conformity assessment procedures (Part V). Specific principles  of the 
agreement has also been covered, including no n-discrimination (Articles 6 and 44), avoiding 
unnecessary barriers to trade (Article 6), tran sparency (Articles 21, 22, 27 to 30 and 47), 
harmonization with international standards (Articles 7, 19 and 44); and the concepts of 
equivalence and mutual recognition.  According to Article 20 of the Law, all standards were 
voluntary, and the implementation of the law ha s been accompanied by more detailed legislation 
as per the action plan (WT/ACC/LAO/14/Rev.7) which include its implementation decree, Regulation on the Control on Production, Export-Imported Safe Food, Regulation the Basic 
Principles in the Application of Sanitary and Technical Measures for the Food Safety Management, 
Regulation on Quality Inspection of Goods, Regulation on Labelling of Pre-packaged Food, Regulation on Organization and Activities of Central Technical Committee, Decision on the 
Organization and Activities of the National Stan dards Council, and also supplemented by the Law 
on Metrology.  
2.2.  Lao PDR's technical regulations, standa rds and conformity assessment procedures shall 
ensure transparency, publicity and non–discrimination, so as not to cause unnecessary obstacles 
to production, trade and commercial activities. G/TBT/2/Add.111 
 
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  3  TRANSPARENCY  
3.1  NATIONAL NOTIFICATION AUTHORITY AND ENQUIRY POINT 3.1.  As stated in Paragraph 120 of the Report of the Working Party on the Accession of Lao PDR to 
the WTO, Lao PDR set up the SPS and TBT Notifica tion Unit and TBT Enquiry Point, which became 
operational on 22 February 2013.  The SPS and TBT Notification Unit is under the Foreign Trade 
Policy Department, Ministry Of Industry and Commerce. The TBT Enquiry Point is under the tandards Division, Department of Standardization and Metrology, Ministry of Science and 
Technology. 
3.2.  The address of the SPS and TBT Notification; and TBT Enquiry Point is: 
Lao PDR SPS and TBT Notification Unit 
Foreign Trade Policy Department  
Ministry of Industry and Commerce 
P.O. Box 4107, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR Tel: +856 21 450 065 
Fax: +856 21 450 066 
Email: sps_tbt_notification@laoftpd.com  
Website: http://www.laoftpd.com  
 
Lao PDR TBT Enquiry Point Department of Standardization and Metrology Ministry of Science and Technology 
P.O. Box 2279 
Vientiane, Lao PDR Tel: +856 21732093 
Fax: +85621732093 
Email: tbtenquiries@laotradeportal.gov.la  
Website: http://www.laotradeportal.gov.la  
 
3.3.  As mentioned in paragraphs 118 and 120, for the purpose of greater transparency and predictability, Lao PDR has established the TBT Network including TBT points in the concerned ministries and local authorities by Ministerial Decision No. 1199/NAST-PMO "On the Organization 
and Operation of Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Enquiry Point (EP)" of 22 June 2011. This 
network supports the Notification Authority and Enquiry Point in dealing with the obligations of TBT notifications and enquiries under the TBT Agreement. 
3.2  COMMENTS 
3.4.  When formulating technical regulations, standards and conformity assessment procedures, 
Lao PDR will give non-discriminatory consideration to comments from the concerned organizations 
and individuals, including those in other WTO Members.   
3.5.  As stated in Article 3.4 of Decree No. 363/ PM "On Notification and Enquiry of Trade Related 
Information" provided that, before adopting a TBT measure, all interested parties, both domestic 
and foreign, would be allowed to submit comments on the draft measures, for a period of at least 
60 days  except in urgent circumstances.  The Decree also stipulated that all adopted technical 
regulations and standards, and other TBT measures shall be published 180 days before their enforcements, except in urgent circumstances. G/TBT/2/Add.111 
 
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  3.3  PUBLICATIONS 
3.6.  Technical regulations and conformity a ssessment procedures will be published by the 
approving technical regulation agencies (mainly line ministries) in their respective publications and 
websites. Those publication will also available on the website: http://www.laotradeportal.gov.la , 
and http://www.laoftpd.com . 
3.7.  National standards will be published in the annual catalogues and/or supplements thereof by 
SPS and TBT Notification Unit. 
 
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