Vietnam reaffirms readiness for ‘constructive’ trade talks with US | Today’s news
Seeking to revive months-long negotiations on a final tariff deal with the Trump administration, Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Van Thang reiterated to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer that the Southeast Asian country is ready for “open, constructive” trade talks.
Thang in Washington to boost trade between the two nations and encourage more US investment in trade-dependent Vietnam signaled Hanoi’s willingness to ease US concerns about trade fraud and illegal export routing through the country, according to a statement on the Southeast Asian country’s government website. The meeting comes as the two sides work to finalize a deal on tariffs after reaching a framework agreement in October.
Greer told Thang that the U.S. wanted to conclude negotiations on a mutual trade agreement soon, according to the statement.
In recent months, U.S. trade officials have launched three concurrent Section 301 investigations into national trade practices as negotiations stalled on issues such as transshipment and non-tariff barriers. The administration wants Vietnam to address what it sees as the flow of illegal Chinese goods to the U.S. through the Southeast Asian country.
In an April report, Greer’s office called Vietnam a “priority foreign country” and accused it of failing to combat online piracy and counterfeit goods, as well as inadequate border controls. The findings of the investigation are due to be published in November and could pave the way for higher tariffs.
Vietnam posted the largest trade deficit with the US at $114 billion in the first half of 2026, ahead of China, Mexico and Taiwan. Meanwhile, its imports from China surged as manufacturers ramped up production of products for export, including electronic goods used by American consumers.
Thang also met with representatives from companies including Qualcomm Inc., Visa Inc., Axon Enterprise Inc. and Caterpillar Inc. in a bid to attract more investment to the country, according to a separate statement on the government’s website.
This article was generated from an automated news agency source without text modification.
