Vietnam said on Saturday (local time) that US President Donald Trump recently told To Lam, the head of the Communist Party, that Washington would remove the country from a list of restrictions on advanced technology, Bloomberg reported.
Trump further welcomed Hanoi’s efforts to reduce the trade imbalance between the two nations. The development came after Lam, who was in Washington to attend the inaugural Peace Council meeting, met Trump on Friday (local time), the first formal face-to-face meeting between the two leaders.
However, the Vietnamese government did not provide any further details on the restrictions being lifted.
The report added that the US president supported deeper economic, scientific and technological cooperation between Washington and Hanoi, while the Communist Party chief called for talks to end outstanding trade issues between the two countries. Trump also accepted an invitation from Lam to visit Vietnam.
Trump meets Lam
According to a Vietnamese website, during his visit to Washington, Lam congratulated Trump on the successful launch of the Gaza Peace Council, adding that Vietnam was among the first countries to agree to participate and expressed its support for working with the US and other members of the Peace Council to implement the Gaza Peace Plan adopted by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
During the meeting with Trump, the Vietnamese leader suggested strengthening exchanges of delegations and high-level contacts, the Vietnam-based portal reported. He further emphasized economic and trade cooperation as a key pillar of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two parties. The statement also emphasized the need for substantive dialogue on previously unresolved issues, based on balanced and harmonized interests, in accordance with the legitimate conditions and interests of each side and for the benefit of businesses and people of both countries.
Vietnam announces deal with Boeing to woo Trump
Lam met with Trump after the announcement of more than $39 billion worth of deals, which would see Vietnam Airlines buy 90 planes from US planemaker Boeing. Among the carriers that invested in Boeing was Sun PhuQuoc Airways, which began operations in November 2025 and has now ordered 40 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners in a deal worth $22.5 billion.
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Meanwhile, Vietnam Airlines, the country’s national flag carrier, announced that it has completed an $8.1 billion deal, first announced in 2023, to acquire 50 Boeing 737-8 Max aircraft. She further stated that the purchase of another 30 wide-body aircraft worth $12 billion is in question.
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In an effort to reduce the country’s trade imbalance with the US, Hanoi has repeatedly pledged to buy more major US items, including high-end machinery and equipment. Low-cost airline VietJet Air said it has signed a $5.4 billion contract with Pratt & Whitney for engines and maintenance services. The carrier also announced a financing arrangement worth about $965 million with Griffin Global Asset Management to support the acquisition of six Boeing 737-8 aircraft.
Trade between the US and Vietnam
Vietnam posted a record trade surplus with the US in 2025, a 28% increase compared to the previous year, Bloomberg reported, citing the statistics agency. After China and Mexico, Vietnam has the third largest trade deficit with the US.
According to a December 2025 Reuters report, the trade surplus touched $121.6 billion in the first 11 months. Exports surged despite US tariffs that were imposed in August 2025.