Vietnam steps up talks with US to reduce hefty tariff

HANOI - Vietnam and the United States held their first direct ministerial-level negotiations on May 16 against the backdrop of an impending US tariff of 46 per cent on imports from the South-east Asian nation, which could significantly impact its growth.

The Vietnamese trade ministry said in a statement released on May 17 that the meeting, which occurred in Jeju, South Korea, following the 31st Apec Ministerial Meeting on Trade, symbolised both nations commitment to fostering a stable economic, trade, and investment relationship.

The talks follow a phone call in April between Vietnamese trade minister Nguyen Hong Dien and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer that officially started negotiations.

“USTR Greer agreed with Vietnam’s current approach and proposal,” the trade ministry’s statement said. “The United States hopes that with the mutual efforts, the technical-level negotiations in the coming days will yield positive results.”

The US has postponed the implementation of the 46 per cent tariff on Vietnam until July. If enforced, the levy could disrupt growth in Vietnam, which is heavily dependent on sales to the United States, its largest export market, and substantial foreign investments in manufacturing goods for export.

Vietnam has the fourth-largest trade surplus among all US trading partners, worth US$123.5 billion (S$160.7 billion) in 2024.

In an attempt to diminish that trade surplus, Hanoi has recently implemented several measures, including reducing tariffs on a multitude of goods destined for the US and intensifying its efforts to curb the shipment of Chinese goods to the US via its territory. REUTERS

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