top of page

Laos

US Revised Tariffs (%)

40

Ease of doing business

theboardiQ Tariffs Dashboard:

Powering Mutually Beneficial Global Trade.

 

Understand the complexities of international tariffs and ease of doing business across nations to cultivate balanced trade relationships, streamline operations, and deliver cost savings to end consumers.

david-whipple-mU-wz7JlJMc-unsplash_Ravid.jpg
Share of US Imports % (1 implies <1%)
US Tariff %
Revised Tariff %
Country Tariff Rate %
1
48
40
0
Exports (in USD Bill.) 2024
Imports (in USD Bill.) 2024
Balance (in USD Bill.) 2024
0.04
0.8
-0.76

Implications

The United States is implementing a 40% reciprocal tariff on all products from Laos entering the US, effective August 1, 2025. This is in addition to any existing sector-specific tariffs.


Status of Deals and Agreements:


  • No new comprehensive trade deal has been reached between the U.S. and Laos to avoid these tariffs.

  • While an earlier proposed tariff rate for Laos was as high as 48% (under the "Liberation Day" policy announced in April), the current 40% rate is a slight reduction, but still poses a significant challenge.

  • The U.S. administration has stated that these tariffs are part of an effort to address perceived "non-reciprocal" trade practices and trade deficits. They have also warned that countries aligning with "Anti-American BRICS policies" could face an additional 10% tariff, though it's not explicitly stated if Laos's current status would incur this extra charge.

  • The U.S. has encouraged countries to relocate manufacturing to the U.S. to avoid future penalties.


Impact on Companies and Sectors:The new tariffs are expected to significantly impact Lao exporters, particularly those dealing in:

  • Wood furniture

  • Footwear (especially shoes with textile uppers)

  • Textiles and apparel

  • Electronic components

  • Optical fiber

  • High-quality Lao coffee


These sectors have increasingly relied on the U.S. as a growing export market. The 40% tariff could make Lao products less competitive, leading American buyers to seek cheaper alternatives from other countries. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Laos, which form a significant part of the economy and have invested in expanding their operations to meet U.S. demand, are particularly vulnerable.


The Lao government has not yet issued an official response to the specific August 1st tariff announcement, but trade officials have indicated they are closely monitoring the situation. It is anticipated that Laos may seek to strengthen trade ties with regional partners, particularly China, which has been increasing its influence in Laos through major infrastructure projects like the Laos-China Railway.

US Revised Tariffs

Country Tariffs

Balance of Trade

Commercial Guide

Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in countries, prepared by U.S. Embassies worldwide, Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals

Tariff Rate for US

World Bank staff estimates using the World Integrated Trade Solution system, based on tariff data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's Trade Analysis and Information System ( TRAINS ) database and global imports data from the United Nations Statistics Division's Comtrade database.

Tariff rate, applied, weighted mean, all products (%)

US Imports Guide 

United States Imports from Countries during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. United States Imports from Countries- data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on April of 2025.

Investing in USA

theboardiQ Economic Relevance Score, ranks States of USA based on 11 parameters

Sources : ForbesUSDA Economic Research | TCGen Total Innovation Rank Index | Best States for Manufacturing | World Population Review | Tax Foundation | US News | BEA Data | Wikipedia International Trade Administration

theboardiQ's Economic Relevance Score provides a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of a nation's economic vitality and global significance. This score is meticulously calculated using 11 key parameters, each reflecting a critical facet of economic performance. It analyzes the representation of Fortune 500 companies within a nation, a strong indicator of its business environment and market size. The balance of trade surplus or deficit reveals the nation's international competitiveness and export strength. It incorporates Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a fundamental measure of overall economic output, and examine the health of key sectors like agriculture and manufacturing. The score also accounts for innovation, gauging a nation's ability to drive future growth through technological advancements. Crucial labor market indicators such as employment rates are considered, alongside fiscal policies reflected in tax rates. To capture the lived experience of citizens, it assesses cost of living and disposable income, providing insight into purchasing power and economic well-being. Finally, education levels are integrated, recognizing their pivotal role in fostering a skilled workforce and driving long-term economic development. By synthesizing these 11 parameters, theboardiQ's Economic Relevance Score delivers a nuanced and holistic view of a nation's economic standing, enabling informed strategic decisions. The Top 5 States in the assessment are Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, Florida and Washington. Texas does consistently well across most of the 11 variables especially in the areas of GDP, F500 representation in the State, Balance of Trade where it ranks 2nd nationally. North Carolina scores as the highest-ranking state nationally in manufacturing and performs consistently across the other variables. Virginia does well in disposable income where it ranks 3rd nationally. It also scores high in the variables of manufacturing and employment Florida holds the 4th ranking nationally for GDP and Tax Washington State scores the top spot for disposable income nationally, 2nd for education and 3rd for innovation. Colorado, with an overall rank of 7 scores the top spot for Education (schools and higher education). Nebraska, that ranked 10th overall, did well in Agriculture where it is ranked 3rd nationally as well as Trade Balance where it ranked 5th. Illinois, though ranked 20th overall did well nationally in F500 representation, GDP, Agriculture, and Disposable Income. Pennsylvania comes in at 21 overall doing well nationally in GDP (6th); Manufacturing (8th) and F500 representation (8th) New York scores 23rd overall with a 2 ranking in Disposable Income nationally, as well as 3rd in both F500 representation and GDP. California comes in at 29th overall and has the top spot ranking in a whopping 4 variables nationally – GDP, Innovation, Agriculture and F500 representation. However, performance in the areas of Trade Balance, Cost of Living, Tax, Manufacturing and Employment resulted in the overall ranking dipping. Wyoming at 30th overall scores the top spot nationally in the area of Tax Massachusetts at 31 overall does well in innovation where it is ranked 2nd nationally Arkansas at 36 and Alabama at 39, do well in overall Cost of Living where they are ranked 2nd and 3rd nationally, respectively. Louisiana ranked 44th overall is ranked 1st in Trade Balance nationally.

theboardiQ Logo

Economic
Relevance
Ranking

Get Great Talent. Subscribe.

Thanks for subscribing!

265 Garnet Dr 

Livermore, CA 94550

  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • X
  • Facebook
bottom of page