HANOI: Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Van Thang, looking to reinvigorate months-long negotiations over a final tariff deal with the Trump administration, reiterated to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer the South-East Asian country’s readiness for "open, constructive” trade talks.
Thang, in Washington to boost commerce between the two nations and encourage more US investment in trade-dependent Vietnam, signaled Hanoi’s willingness to ease US concerns over trade fraud and the illegal routing of exports through the country, according to a statement on the South-East Asian country’s government website.
The meeting occurred as the two sides work to complete a tariff deal after reaching a framework agreement in October.
Greer told Thang the US wants to conclude negotiations soon on the reciprocal trade agreement, according to the statement.
In recent months, US trade officials have pursued three simultaneous Section 301 investigations into the nation’s trade practices as talks stalled over issues such as transshipment and non-tariff barriers. The administration wants to see Vietnam address what it sees as the flow of illicit Chinese goods to the US through the South-East Asian country.
Greer’s office designated Vietnam a "priority foreign country” in an April report, accusing it of failing to combat online piracy and counterfeit goods, as well as insufficient border controls. The investigation’s findings are due in November and could pave the way for higher tariffs.
Vietnam posted the largest trade gap with the US in the first half of 2026 at US$114 billion, ahead of China, Mexico and Taiwan. Meanwhile, its imports from China have surged as manufacturers ramp up production of products for export, including electronic goods used by American consumers.
Thang also met with representatives of companies including Qualcomm Inc., Visa Inc., Axon Enterprise Inc. and Caterpillar Inc. in an effort to draw more investments into the country, according a separate statement on the government’s website. - Bloomberg
