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The European Union has announced its classification of countries around the world for the purposes of implementing its EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) ahead of its application at the end of 2025. This benchmarking system, adopted by the European Commission on 22 May 2025, classifies all countries as being of low, standard or high risk when it comes to deforestation.

Lao PDR has been classified as a low-risk country. As a result, while imports of EUDR-covered commodities from Laos will still be subject to EUDR requirements (i.e. being sourced from land not subject to deforestation or forest degradation after 31 December 2020), they will be subject to reduced levels of scrutiny compared to imports from standard or high-risk countries.

Read the press release

EUDR Country classification list

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