Guidelines on Rubber Quality Inspection, Testing, and Certification

Article

Lao People's Democratic Republic
Peace, Independence, Democracy, Unity, Prosperity

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

Guideline
on Inspection, Testing and Certification of Rubber Quality

- Pursuant to the Law on Forestry (Amended), No. 64/NA, dated 13 June 2019;
- Pursuant to the Decree on the Organization and Operation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, No. 603/PM, dated 15 October 2021;
- Pursuant to the Proposal of the Institute of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, No. 0506/IAFRD, dated 2 April 2025;
- Pursuant to the Proposal of the Office, No. 2134/O, dated 21 May 2025.

In the past period, the agriculture and forestry sectors at all levels have made efforts to promote,
Promote the management, development, processing and research of rubber for variety expansion, propagation, improvement, rubber tree genetics, growth, quantitative and qualitative benefits, linked to database creation, plantation registration and rubber tree certification, purchase, sale, movement, export, import and transit of rubber, including promotion of rubber planting and processing by encouraging the establishment of producer groups, cooperatives and rubber associations; but at the same time, it is observed that the process of management, development and processing of rubber is not yet as robust as it should be, especially the inspection, research and certification of rubber quality are not yet uniform and have not been systematically implemented, rubber
Not being classified by quality, market confidence in rubber is not yet high, and it is not possible to add value to rubber and rubber products produced and processed in our country as well as it should.

To address the above issues, and also to implement Article 40 of the Law on Forestry (amended), No. 64/NA, dated June 13, 2019, and Articles 11 and 12 of the Agreement on Management, Development and Processing of Rubber, No. 4288/MAF, dated October 17, 2023, aiming to ensure uniformity in inspection, research and certification of rubber quality in accordance with relevant national, regional and international laws, regulations and standards,

The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry issues the following guideline:
1. Objectives, Definitions and Importance
1. Objectives
To ensure that the organization and implementation of inspection, testing and certification of rubber quality in the Lao PDR comply with relevant laws, regulations and standards;
- To guide the procedures and methods for inspection, testing and certification of rubber quality in accordance with the Lao Rubber Standard (LS 150-2024);
- To serve as a reference for state organizations, private entities, as well as producers, processors, importers, exporters, transshippers and distributors to implement uniformly nationwide, aiming to enhance transparency in rubber quality certification.
2. Definitions and Importance
Inspection, testing and certification of rubber quality is the process of sampling, testing, analysis, packaging, packing and certifying rubber and rubber products in order to classify quality according to national, regional, international standards and standards of trading partner countries required, aiming to add value to rubber and rubber products produced, processed and exported from the Lao PDR, contributing to the national socio-economic development as well as the development of rubber work towards a new and better quality than before.

Inspection, testing and certification of rubber quality is important for research, experimentation, management, development and processing of rubber in accordance with laws, regulations, national standards,
Regional and international relevant standards, which build confidence in the domestic and foreign rubber market, both in quantity and quality, creating employment and important income sources for operators and farmers who increasingly grow, produce, and process rubber.

II. Rubber Quality Inspection, Research, and Certification

1. Rubber Quality Inspection

Rubber quality inspection is the activity of monitoring, inspecting, collecting data and evidence on the cultivation, maintenance, or production and processing of rubber and rubber products, including the periodic collection of data and rubber samples from rubber plantations, rubber processing factories, and the import of rubber products, to serve as a basis for rubber quality research and certification.
By the Institute of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development or other organizations authorized by the Institute of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development.

Rubber quality inspection must be carried out regularly and continuously, especially for rubber plantations that have been correctly registered as planted forests in accordance with the guidelines on plantation registration and planted timber certification No. 2492/ກປ, dated December 23, 2020, to facilitate research and certification of rubber quality, including inspection of size, standards, establishment and operation of rubber processing plants, aiming to promote rubber tree cultivation as a commodity for domestic use, and to promote the processing and export of quality rubber that meets the demands of regional and international markets.
Provincial departments of agriculture and forestry, district offices of agriculture and forestry, and centers under the Institute of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development are responsible for inspecting the quality of rubber in accordance with their roles and responsibilities, including: collecting data on area and input factors in rubber plantations, conducting rubber processing activities, import, export, and transit of rubber as stipulated by laws and regulations.

Rubber quality inspection can be conducted either routinely or according to annual plans, monitoring, inspection by order or proposal of individuals and organizations related to rubber quality, and sudden or urgent inspection when knowledge, observation, or information about quality conditions is obtained.
Rubber that does not correspond to reality or is inconsistent with the certified quality shall be used as information for summarization and reporting to higher levels for consideration in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.

In each inspection of the quality of rubber and rubber products, the following steps shall be followed:

1. Institute of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Department

2. District Agriculture and Forestry Office issues a decision to appoint its staff to inspect and collect samples at rubber plantations or rubber processing factories within their area of responsibility;

2). The appointee informs the target being inspected of the purpose, decision, and action plan of their committee for acknowledgment and cooperation in implementation;
3). The appointee collects various data on rubber quality and comprehensively and completely compiles related evidence;

4). The appointee researches, analyzes, investigates, and evaluates the obtained data and evidence clearly and objectively to serve as a basis for summarizing reports upward according to the actual inspection content;

5). The appointee summarizes the rubber quality inspection results in detail, especially the inspection results and recommendations for problem-solving methods, to ensure consistency and sign jointly with the inspected target.

2. Rubber Quality Research

Rubber quality research is the use of scientific methods to inspect, analyze, research
and classify rubber quality correctly and clearly by using the rubber laboratory of the Institute of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, especially equipment and tools must be calibrated according to international standard values (e.g., testing for dirt content, ash (430), volatile matter (/0ໄ4ໄໄດຊຣາ), nitrogen (111ໄ108ແຜ), initial plasticity of rubber (#ວ), plasticity retention index (%41), Mooney viscosity (ມເຫຫນາວຖ້ວນ ວນີໂນໂດ0ກ8ພູ), color, appearance.

The Institute of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development or other organizations authorized by the Institute of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development shall conduct rubber quality testing.
Based on the Lao Rubber Standard (LS 50-2024), which has been approved and promulgated under Agreement No. 1441/MAF, dated October 12, 2024, and implemented according to the following steps:

2.1. Sample Preparation

Rubber samples to be tested for quality in the laboratory must be collected and be dry compressed rubber blocks produced from fresh latex, cup lump, or sheet rubber and blended rubber, in quantities of five hundred grams to one kilogram per sample.

For rubber sampling for quality testing, samples shall be taken by various methods, such as: random sampling from the same production batch and same quality grade of up to one hundred tons; selecting sample groups by random sampling from the same product as representative for testing; selecting specific samples as
Representative sample lumps, cut samples from the same production batch and combine them for testing. Take the final rubber lump sample and make it into pieces or small portions, or use calculation methods for test results by separating into individual numbers and use sampling methods according to the ratio of the number of groups in the production batch to the number of selected groups for subsequent testing and quality inspection.
2.3. Testing and Quality Inspection

After preparing the rubber samples, separate them into specific samples by cutting into layers representative of the rubber lump and mixed samples or composite samples by randomly taking from different samples and mixing them to conduct testing and quality inspection of the rubber, such as testing for impurity content.
Residue, ash (431). Volatile matter (nitrogen (11708), initial plasticity of raw rubber (10). Plasticity retention index (Mooney viscosity (016), color, appearance, according to the proportion of rubber for testing as specified in the Lao Rubber Standard (LS 150.2024).

2.3. Quality classification

The Lao Rubber and Agricultural Crop Research Center or other organization authorized by the Institute of Agricultural, Forestry and Rural Development Research shall classify the quality of rubber based on test results and quality research from the laboratory, with the name indicating the type of raw material, characteristics and quality grade of the block rubber product, which comprises twelve quality grades, namely: 1.5S 3; 51 B 51.
1833; :51#5; 19 05; 181 10; 181ະ 06/10; 18110710; 1.81ນ 20; 153 620; ?5ແ9720 and

151: 0760 as specified in the Lao Rubber Standard (ມລ 150-2024),

2.4. Packaging and packing of samples that have been tested, researched and quality graded

All types of compressed block rubber samples that have been tested, researched and quality graded
Must be packed and packaged in clean containers, with labels and markings on the outside of the container
For easy and clear visibility, written in Lao language, or in case the label is in a foreign language,
Must have content corresponding to Lao language specifying product name, type, quality grade,

Factory name and production location, net weight of compressed block rubber, production date, machine
Trade, production batch, including instructions and storage methods,

3. Rubber Quality Certification
Rubber quality certification shall be carried out according to the following steps:
3.1. Application
Individuals, legal entities, and organizations intending to apply for rubber quality certification shall submit application documents to the Rubber and Crop Research Center or to the authorized person from the Institute of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development for inspection, research, and certification of rubber quality.

The conditions for applying for rubber quality certification are as follows:
1). Application for certification according to the form prescribed by the Institute of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development;
2). Copy of plantation registration certificate (if any);
3). Copy of enterprise registration certificate or investment license (in case of legal entity):
4). Copy of rubber quality certificate from the country of origin (in case of import);
5). Samples of rubber and rubber products requested for certification;
9). Other conditions as specified by the Institute of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development,

3.2. Consideration

The Lao Rubber and Agricultural Crops Research Center or the person authorized by the Institute of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development must conduct inspection, research and certification of the quality of rubber requested for certification within three working days from the date of receipt of complete and correct documents and samples of rubber and rubber products. In case of sampling, if
Difficult, the research results are not clear, must notify the applicant in writing within the said timeframe.

3.3. Rubber Quality Certificate

The Rubber Quality Certificate is a document certifying the research results and quality classification of rubber or rubber products according to the Lao Rubber Standard (LRS 150.2024), which is determined and issued by the Institute of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development specifically for the consignment that requests certification before export and can only be used for that consignment.

The Rubber Quality Certificate cannot be transferred or given to other individuals, legal entities, or organizations for use in the import, export, transit, or sale of rubber not related to that certificate.
3.4. Suspension and Revocation of Rubber Quality Certificate

Individuals, legal entities, and organizations that have received a rubber or rubber product quality certificate, if they operate not in accordance with the objectives and targets specified in the certificate or engage in activities that violate relevant laws, shall be warned or have the use of such certificate suspended by the Rubber and Agricultural Crops Research Center or by a person authorized by the Institute of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, in order for the relevant party to rectify the violations within a specified period.

In case the recipient of the rubber quality certificate fails to comply with the suspension order, the Rubber Research Center shall
and Lao agricultural plants or persons authorized by the Institute of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development
revoke the quality certificate of rubber products in accordance with relevant laws and regulations,

11. Measures and Implementation Methods

1. Let the Institute of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development take the lead in coordinating with
the Office, various departments, second-level technical units under the ministry, and other relevant sectors
(both public and private) to organize dissemination, guidance, monitoring, and inspection of the implementation of this guideline to achieve good results;

2. Let the provincial agriculture and forestry departments and district agriculture and forestry offices take the lead in
coordinating with relevant sectors at their level to promote operators and the people
Those with rubber plantations and rubber processing operations shall shift to production according to the Lao Rubber Standard (LS 150-2024) to increase the value of rubber and rubber products, with quality certification in accordance with this guideline;

3. Assign the Institute of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development to take the lead in establishing a Lao rubber database system, particularly a system for requesting inspection, research and certification of rubber quality, so that individuals, legal entities and organizations can access it conveniently and quickly;

4. In actual implementation, if there are any conveniences or difficulties, report to the Institute of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in a timely manner for improvement and resolution.
This guideline shall take effect from July 15, 2025 onwards.