{
  "id": 16857043,
  "title": "Vietnam and Laos customs authorities hold 2026 conference",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/vietnam-and-laos-customs-authorities-hold-2026-conference",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-28T05:29:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Vietnam Investment Review",
    "slug": "vietnam-investment-review",
    "url": "https://vir.com.vn/vietnam-and-laos-customs-authorities-hold-2026-conference-163839.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Vietnam and Laos customs officials convened a three-day conference from October 25 to 27 in Laos, chaired by Lao Customs Director General Vannavongxay Phoukhaokham. The meeting reviewed the progress made in 2026 and outlined priorities for the upcoming year, 2027. Both nations praised the results of 2026, which included the exchange of organizational best practices, a joint anti-smuggling conference, and training programs to improve customs staff's expertise in goods classification, valuation, and origin rules. Efforts to enhance information sharing on suspected violations, particularly in drug cases, were also emphasized. The conference scheduled for November 16-20 aims to further boost professional capabilities of customs officials in both countries. Regarding mutual administrative assistance, Vietnam and Laos agreed to continue prioritizing timely exchanges of information, particularly in drug-related cases, to bolster smuggling detection and prevention. They also committed to expanding information sharing in 2027 to improve coordinated border controls and facilitate cross-border trade. Both sides pledged to effectively implement the 2027 cooperation plan and honor their memoranda of understanding on statistical data exchanges and anti-smuggling investigations. Vietnamese and Lao customs authorities underlined the importance of strengthening cooperation, particularly at the provincial level, under a regional cooperation mechanism. The meeting resulted in the signing of minutes by both customs leaders, setting the stage for the implementation of 2027 cooperation measures.",
  "summary": "A Vietnamese Customs delegation led by Nguyen Van Tho director general of the Customs Department visited Laos to attend the 2026 Vietnam Laos Customs Directors General Conference",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}