Tiêu đề Vietnam willing to cut tariffs on U.S., Trump says after 'productive call' ✅

TRADE WAR Vietnam willing to cut tariffson U.S., Trump says after productive call" Nike andLululemon shares higher following news of talk with General Secretary To Lam PAK YIU April 5, 2025 02:31 JST To Lam, general secretary of theCommunist Party of Vietnam. © Reuters
NEW YORK -- U.S.President Donald Trump said Friday that he had spoken with Vietnamese ruling party chief ToLam,in one of the firstdiscussions between American and Asian leaders in the days since Trump announced "reciprocal" tariffsofup to 49%forthe region'scountries. "Justhad avery productive call with To Lam, General Secretary ofthe Communist Party of Vietnam,who told me thatVietnam wants to cut theirTariffs down to ZERO ifthey are able to make an agreementwith the U.S., "Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "I thanked himn on behalf of our Country, and said I look forward to ameeting in the nearfuture." Thiswas apparently the first such call since the Trump administration announced sweeping tariffs on trading partners Wednesday, including for 46% on goodsimported from Vietnam.
Trump and Lam spoke about continuing to strengthen bilateral relations and about measures to further promote trade, the official Vietnamn News Agency reported. VNA quoted Lam as saying Vietnam will continueto import more goods it needs from theU.S. andwork to create favorable conditions for American companies to expand investment in the Southeast Asian country. Lam affirmed that Vietnam is ready to negotiate with the U.S. to reduce its import tax to zero forAmerican goods andproposed that the U.S.apply a similar rate to productsimported from Vietnam, VNA reported. Thetwoleaders promised further discussions to "s0on sign a bilateral agreement" to concretize these commitments, andTrump acceptedLam's invitation tovisit Vietnam, according to VNA. Amid shaky markets,U.S. apparel stocksrose after news ofthephonecall broke, with Nike 5% higherand Lululemon edgingup 4% atonepoint. Key suppliers of major American sportswear and apparelbrands have been setting up manufacturing facilities in Vietnam aspolitical tensions between China andthe U.S. have escalated. TheSoutheastAsian country, which serves asa major productionbase for many Western companies, has said it willtake stepsto import such American goodsas aircraft andliquefied natural gas. TheTrade Ministry has asked the Trump administration to put thetariffs, which are expectedto take effect April 9, on hold during negotiations. Vietnam has already cut tariffs on American imports in abid toreduce its trade surplus with the U.S. Chinese companies have also flocked to Vietnam and other SoutheastAsian countries to set up manufacturing facilities as a means of skirting U.S.tariffs targeting goods from China, the world's second-largest economny. Thecall comesahead ofVietnam's Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc's planned visit to the U.S. next week with a delegation of business leaders from different sectors, including theheads ofSacombank andVietJet.