Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Vietnam is taking a shocking approach to U.S. trade tensions, offering to eliminate tariffs on American goods in response to President Donald Trump sweeping new imports tariffs.
The Trump administration last week announced a new round of import tariffs, set to take effect Wednesday, April 9. The regulations will impose a 46% tariff on all Vietnamese products entering the United States.
The policy is part of a broader tariff package affecting nearly every country, including members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
According to Việt Nam News, Vietnam General Secretary of the Communist Party To Lam proposed to remove all tariffs on U.S. imports during a call with the U.S president on Friday, (April 4).
Lam has expressed a willingness to negotiate directly with Trump to cut tariffs on US exports to Vietnam to 0%. However, He requested that the U.S. apply the same tariff rates to Vietnamese goods as Vietnam would apply to U.S. products.
President Trump confirmed the outreach in a post on Truth Social on Friday, saying he had a “very productive” conversation with Lam.
“Just had a very productive call with To Lam, The General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, who told me that Vietnam wants to cut tehir tariffs to ZERO if they are able make an agreement with the U.S.,” Trump wrote, not long after the phone call.
Both leaders agreed to continue negotiations and plan to meet in the near future to discuss the next steps toward lifting the tariffs. Trump expressed his appreciation, thanking To Lam for his willingness to engage in talks.
“I thank him on behalf of our country and said I look forward to a meeting in the near future,” said Trump.
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Vietnam has emerged as a critical manufacturing hub for Western companies as an alternative to China. Last year, the Southeast Asian nation posted a trade surplus of more than $123 billion with the United States.
The 46% imports tariffs is among the highest imposed under Trump new policy and has had immediate market effects. Shares of Nike, Adidas, and Puma dropped sharply last week, as all three companies maintain major manufacturing operations in Vietnam.
However, Trump’s remarks on Friday appeared to ease some concerns. Markets showed signs of stabilization amid speculation that a bilateral deal could be reached in the coming weeks.
While the Trump new imports tariffs is set take effect on April 9, Negotiations between the two countries are expected to continue, with both leaders signaling optimism about reaching a mutually beneficial resolution.
(Raidi/Agung)
