alt Hacker NewsThe car market seems tiny in Laos and Ethiopia (the other nation noted in the comments with a similar ban). It doesn’t seem large enough for an in country industry (maybe one factory if that) if this data is accurate and sales trends continued. https://laotiantimes.com/2023/06/06/laos-imports-over-80000-...
Laos is a fairly small country with 7.5m people, nestled in between Vietnam and Thailand. Their economy is primarily agricultural; there isn't a significant manufacturing sector.
Interestingly, neighboring Thailand is a major exporter of (largely ICE) automobiles.