Vietnam has said it expects to sign a framework trade deal with the United States within the next two weeks.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said on Wednesday he anticipated a trade deal with the US to be agreed upon by early July, before the Trump administration’s pause on 46% reciprocal tariffs on Vietnamese exports ends.
Speaking at the “Is Asia’s Century at Risk?” panel during the ongoing World Economic Forum in Tianjin, in northeastern China, Chinh said Vietnam’s government was in frequent communication with the Trump administration on tariffs.
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“I hope that you will see that the result will come earlier than two weeks,” Chinh said. “Vietnam and the US share a deep understanding on tariffs… I hope that all the positive things will come for us.”
Vietnam, a major manufacturing hub in Southeast Asia, has held several rounds of negotiations with US trade officials, the latest of which concluded last week.
The country seeks to avoid the reinstatement of a 46% tariff rate, initially imposed due to its substantial trade surplus with Washington.
Tough demands
Reuters reported early this month that the US submitted a list of trade demands to Hanoi, which Vietnamese officials described as “tough”.
And recently, Washington was also pushing Vietnam to reduce the use of Chinese tech in devices that are assembled in the country before being exported to America.
Vietnam’s trade surplus with the United States climbed to $12.2 billion in May, marking a nearly 42% increase year-on-year and a 17% rise from April, according to government data.
Exports to the US surged 42% from a year earlier to $13.8 billion, hitting a post-pandemic peak.
Under pressure from Washington, Hanoi has intensified efforts to curb illegal trans-shipment, predominantly involving goods from China.
Additionally, Vietnam has expressed willingness to reduce non-tariff barriers and expand imports of US goods, including planes, agricultural products and energy, though no formal purchase agreements have been announced.
Reuters with additional editing by Jim Pollard
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