WASHINGTON/HANOI — The United States (US) will place a lower-than-promised 20 per cent tariff on many Vietnamese exports, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, cooling tensions with its tenth-biggest trading partner days before he could raise levies on most imports.
Trump said that Vietnamese goods would face a 20 per cent tariff and trans-shipments from third countries through Vietnam will face a 40 per cent levy. Vietnam could import US products with a zero per cent tariff.
“It is my Great Honor to announce that I have just made a Trade Deal with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,” he said on the Truth Social social media platform after speaking with Vietnam’s top leader Tô Lâm.
Trump’s announcement comes just days before a July 9 deadline before he ramps up tariffs on most imports, one of the Republican’s signature economic policies.
Under that plan, announced in April, US importers of Vietnamese goods would have had to pay a 46 per cent tariff.
Details were scant. It was not clear which products Trump’s 20 per cent tariff would apply to, or whether some would qualify for lower or higher total duties.
Also left to later discussion was how the new trans-shipment provision, aimed at products made mainly in China and then labelled “Made in Vietnam,” would be implemented and enforced.
The Vietnamese government did not confirm the specific tariff levels in a statement celebrating what it described as an agreement on a joint statement about a trade framework.
Vietnam would commit to “providing preferential market access for US goods, including large-engine cars,” the government in Hanoi said.
A deal between the two countries would be a political boost for Trump, whose team has struggled to quickly close deals with Washington’s biggest trading partners ahead of the deadline.
While the administration has teased a forthcoming deal with India, truces reached earlier with the United Kingdom (UK) and China were limited in scope. Talks with Japan, the US’ sixth-largest trading partner and closest ally in Asia, appeared to hit roadblocks.
The US is Vietnam’s largest export market, and the two countries’ growing economic, diplomatic and military ties are a hedge against Washington’s biggest strategic rival, China. Vietnam has worked to retain close relations with both superpowers.
On Thursday, China said it was “conducting an assessment” on the US-Vietnam agreement and vowed to defend its interests.
“We are happy to see all parties resolve economic and trade disputes with the United States through equal consultations, but we firmly oppose any party reaching a deal at the expense of China’s interests.
“If such a situation occurs, China will resolutely counter it to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” said China Commerce Ministry spokesperson He Yongqian in a briefing.
Shares of major US apparel and sportswear makers, including Nike, Under Armour, and North Face maker VF Corp, closed higher on Wednesday on the news.
Lam also asked Trump for the US to recognise Vietnam as a market economy and remove restrictions on the exports of high-tech products to the country, Vietnam said. Hanoi has long sought those changes.
The White House and the Vietnamese Trade Ministry did not respond to requests for additional comment.
Growing trade ties
Since Trump imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars in Chinese goods during his 2017-2021 term, US trade with Vietnam has increased significantly, primarily in the form of goods imported from Vietnam to the US, as importers sought workarounds for the tariffs levied on China.
Since 2018, Vietnam’s exports have increased nearly threefold from less than US$50 billion (RM211.1 billion) that year to about US$137 billion (RM578.6 billion) in 2024, Census Bureau data shows.
US exports to Vietnam are up only about 30 per cent in that time — to just over US$13 billion (RM54.91 billion) last year from less than US$10 billion (RM42.23 billion) in 2018.
“‘Transshipping’ is a vague and often politicised term in trade enforcement. How it is defined and how it is applied in practice will shape the future of US-Vietnam trade relations,” said Dezan Shira and Associates business adviser Dan Martin on LinkedIn.
Trump announced a wave of tariffs for countries around the world on April 2, before pausing the implementation of most duties until July 9. More than a dozen countries are actively negotiating with the Trump administration to avoid a steep spike in tariffs on their exports.
The UK accepted a 10 per cent US tariff on many goods, including autos, in exchange for special access for aircraft engines and British beef.
Like the agreement struck with the UK in May, the one with Vietnam resembles a framework rather than a finalised trade pact.
China and the US also reached a truce in a tit-for-tat tariff battle, in which Beijing restored American access to some rare-earth minerals. However, the two sides left most of their disagreements for later negotiations.
“Had Trump stuck with 46 per cent, much higher than the current tariff on China, Vietnam feared it would be disadvantaged by its competitors, especially in Southeast Asia.
“This likely would have dented Vietnam’s trust in the US and it might have toned down some of its security cooperation with Washington,” said think tank CSIS’ Southeast Asia programme senior associate Murray Hiebert.
— Reuters
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