Vietnam says US trade negotiations are nearly finished as Washington stays cautious

At a business forum in Hanoi, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc announced that Vietnam has delivered the final text of a pending trade agreement to the United States, indicating that negotiations are nearly complete. He asked Washington to keep conditions that allow Vietnamese goods stable access to the US market and to assess Vietnam’s Section 301 case on industrial overcapacity and IP rights objectively. US Ambassador Jennifer Wicks replied that the two governments continue to work toward a reciprocal deal, urging Vietnam to revise its data-protection framework and to establish predictable pricing rules to attract investment, especially in the energy sector.

Assistant Secretary of Commerce David Fogel voiced hope for continued cooperation, noting that the US trade deficit with Vietnam is its largest with any partner, while Vietnam’s customs data show a $122.6 billion surplus in the first three quarters. He encouraged Vietnamese firms to invest more in the United States and mentioned plans to bring advanced AI hardware and innovative solutions to Vietnam. The negotiations, ongoing for more than a year, could reshape market access, investment flows, and technology sharing between the two economies.