Laos boosts energy ties with Vietnam via oil pipeline and record electricity exports

Laos is moving forward with an oil pipeline that will link its territory to Vietnam, a project meant to deepen bilateral cooperation and open a new route for hydrocarbon transport. At the same time, the country’s electricity exports have outpaced any single category of physical goods, generating more than US$2 billion in 2025. Most of this power is sold to neighboring Thailand and Vietnam, reflecting the growing importance of Laos’ hydropower capacity, which now supplies roughly 83 % of its electricity output. Electricity accounted for about a quarter of Laos’ total export value in 2025 and contributed 9.7 % of GDP the previous year, underscoring its role as a pillar of the national economy.