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East Asia & Pacific · LA

India Laos

India exported USD 12.4 mn to Laos in 2024, led by HS 30, and imported USD 77.6 mn. Here are the documents, the gateways and how SSL moves your cargo on the India side.

  • AgreementAsia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA)
  • AgreementASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA)
  • CurrencyLAK ₭
  • Time+1h30 vs IST
  • CapitalVientiane
  • AccessLandlocked
Get a quote for Laos How exporting works
  • Road
  • Air
  1. Road leg in India to the gateway, SSL fleet · Road
  2. Air leg to Laos · Air

Road in India, then sea or air onward

Exports from India
USD 12.4 mn
Imports into India
USD 77.6 mn
Trade partner rank
#150

Happiness, on this lane, is the buyer in Vientiane whose goods arrive on the promised day, and the shipper in India who never has to chase.

At a glance

Region
East Asia & PacificSouth-Eastern Asia
Income group
Lower middle incomeWorld Bank
Currency
LAKLao kip
Languages
Lao
Capital
Vientiane
Time
+1h30 vs ISTUTC+07:00
Access
Landlocked
Trade partner rank
#1500.008% of India's trade

Trade agreements: Preferential access under: Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA); ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA). Sources: World Bank country classification; ISO 4217 and languages via mledoze/countries; IANA time zones; agreements per India Briefing FTA tracker and Invest India.

Ship from India to Laos

USD 12.4 mnIndia's exports to Laos, 2024 (FOB)
0.00%of India's exports to the world
USD 90.0 mntwo-way trade, 2024
India's top exports to Laos, 2024
  1. HS 30 Pharmaceutical products USD 6.3 mn51%
  2. HS 87 Vehicles USD 1.8 mn15%
  3. HS 84 Machinery and mechanical appliances, boilers, nuclear reactors USD 1.4 mn12%
  4. HS 29 Organic chemicals USD 1.1 mn9%
  5. HS 24 Tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes USD 556 thousand5%

Gateways in Laos

Seaports: Landlocked: sea cargo moves through a neighbouring country's port.

Airports: Luang Phabang International Airport (LPQ) · Pakse International Airport (PKZ) · Wattay International Airport (VTE)

OurAirports: large (else medium) airports with scheduled service and an IATA code. Direct service from India NOT verified.

Transit time

No public port-to-port benchmark is published here yet. We do not guess one: our desk gives you the current sailing or flight time with the quote.

Source: UN Comtrade, 2024. India as reporter; exports FOB, imports CIF; general trade, all modes; HS 2022 (H6) chapters. Retrieved 29 Sep 2026.

Import from Laos to India

USD 77.6 mnIndia's imports from Laos, 2024 (CIF)
86%of the two-way trade is India buying
India's top imports from Laos, 2024
  1. HS 71 Natural, cultured pearls USD 31.6 mn41%
  2. HS 85 Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof USD 30.0 mn39%
  3. HS 44 Wood and articles of wood USD 10.7 mn14%
  4. HS 78 Lead and articles thereof USD 1.5 mn2%
  5. HS 13 Lac USD 1.5 mn2%

On arrival in India the importer files a bill of entry on ICEGATE; customs assesses basic customs duty, the social welfare surcharge and IGST on the assessable value. To pay the lower rate under Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) or ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA), the importer must hold origin proof and answer CAROTAR 2020 origin checks. Read the import guide →

How SSL moves it

Road in India, then sea or air onward

India leg: by road to the Indian gateway

SSL's fleet moves your cargo by road to and from India's ports and airports.

International leg. The air leg, or the sea leg through a neighbouring country's port, is arranged by our desk, and our desk arranges customs clearance.

Ask our desk for a quote Email the desk

Outside India? Email (corporatesales@sslpl.in) is the easiest way for our desk to reply across time zones. WhatsApp +91 75062 45557 works too.

Documents

General guidance: verify every shipment with your customs broker and the current DGFT and CBIC notifications.

IEC
An Importer-Exporter Code from DGFT is needed for any commercial shipment to or from Laos. Guide →
HS code
Classify every line under the HS nomenclature; India's largest export chapter to Laos in 2024 was HS 30. The 8-digit ITC(HS) code goes on the shipping bill. Guide →
Incoterms
Laos is landlocked, so the multimodal terms (FCA, CPT, CIP, DAP) fit better than FOB or CIF, which are for sea legs only. Guide →
Certificate of origin
Preferential CoO available under: Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA); ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) Guide →

Questions about shipping between India and Laos

Does India have a free trade agreement with Laos?
Yes. Goods can qualify for preferential duty under Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) and ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA), provided they meet the rules of origin and carry a preferential certificate of origin. Source: India Briefing FTA tracker / Invest India, 2026.
What does India export to Laos?
India exported USD 12.4 mn of goods to Laos in 2024. The largest chapters were HS 30 pharmaceutical products (USD 6.3 mn), HS 87 vehicles (USD 1.8 mn), HS 84 machinery and mechanical appliances, bo… (USD 1.4 mn). That is 0.00% of India's exports to the world. Source: UN Comtrade, India as reporter, 2024, exports FOB.
What does India import from Laos?
India imported USD 77.6 mn from Laos in 2024, mainly HS 71 natural, cultured pearls (USD 31.6 mn), HS 85 electrical machinery and equipment and… (USD 30.0 mn), HS 44 wood and articles of wood (USD 10.7 mn). To claim a lower agreement rate on these goods, the importer needs origin proof under CAROTAR 2020. Source: UN Comtrade, India as reporter, 2024, imports CIF.
How big is India-Laos trade?
Two-way goods trade between India and Laos was USD 90.0 mn in 2024, 0.008% of India's total, which ranks Laos number 150 among India's trading partners. India imports more than it exports on this lane. Source: UN Comtrade, India as reporter, 2024.
How long does shipping from India to Laos take?
No public port-to-port benchmark for India to Laos is published on this page yet. Our desk confirms the current sailing or flight time for your cargo when it quotes. Source: SSL global dataset, 29 Sep 2026.
What certificate of origin do I need to export to Laos?
A preferential certificate of origin under Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) lets the buyer in Laos claim the lower duty; both kinds are issued through the DGFT e-CoO platform (coo.dgft.gov.in). Check the buyer's letter of credit or import rules for the exact form. Source: DGFT, 2026.
What is the time difference between India and Laos?
Vientiane runs at UTC+07:00 in 2026, which is +1h30 vs IST. Plan calls and cut-offs with our desk in IST; we reply by email across time zones. Source: IANA time-zone database, 2026.
Does Safe & Secure Logistics clear customs for Laos shipments?
Yes. Our desk arranges clearance for your shipment, or works with your own broker, while SSL's fleet runs the road leg in India. Our desk shares the operator's licence and documents for your shipment on request. Source: SSL site facts, 29 Sep 2026.

Keep exploring

Data: UN Comtrade 2024 · retrieved 29 Sep 2026. Company figures appear only where sourced from SSL's own register.

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