SBR- Content.pmd - INBO

State of the Basin Report - 20033. Trade benefits of river transportationIn 2001, trade valued at an estimated $4,700 millionwas transported in the LMB on the Mekong River andits associated waterways. This comprised trade between:Thailand and Lao PDR amounting to $350 million;between Thailand and China (Yunnan Province) worth$88 million; trade into and out of Cambodia, worth $235million; and trade into and out of the Mekong Delta inViet Nam (excluding trade with Cambodia) worth$4,000 million. fAs the only land-locked Lower Mekong Basin country,Lao PDR has realised substantial benefits from the useof the Mekong River as the principal conduit for itsinternational trade flows. In 2001, the value of theexport, import and transit trade flowing through thatcountry’s river customs checkpoints opposite Thailandis estimated to have amounted to $348.52 million, or44 percent, of a total trade value of $795.49 million(see Figure 3).River customs checkpoints account for an even greatershare of the value of Lao PDR’s exports – about 64percent – since export flows tend to be dominated bylogs, timber products and other agricultural commodities(such as coffee). All of these are well adapted to transportby river, but some can cause substantial damage topavements if transported by road.During the wet season, about 1.3 millionCambodians living along the Mekong aretotally dependent on the river and itstributaries for transportFour river customs checkpoints – Kenthao (oppositeLoei Province of Thailand), Pakxan (opposite BeungKarn, Thailand), Thakhek (opposite Nakhon Phanom,Thailand), and Savannakhet (opposite Mukdahan,Thailand) account for more than 90 percent of the valueand volume of all trade through Lao river checkpoints.However, in future, the continuing rapid growth of trucktraffic over the Friendship Bridge (averaging 16 percentper annum over the past five years), coupled with theimpending construction of a new bridge across theMekong River at Mukdahan, is likely to cut sharply thevalue and volume of foreign trade passing through theseriver checkpoints.Although the advantages of river transport arenumerous, LMB governments, like those worldwide,continue to favour road, rail and air transportfEstimates by the author on the basis of CIF value data supplied by customs departments (Cambodia, Lao PDR,Thailand)and national statistical publications (Viet Nam).222