The Supreme Commander in Vietnam, for Lam, asked President Trump to delay the imposition of definitions for at least 45 days so that the two sides can avoid the step that will destroy the Vietnamese economy and raise the prices of American consumers.
The 46 percent customs tariff rate that the United States said it said will impose on Vietnam from the highest faces in any country. He left the possibility of such a sharp tariff Vietnam with a feeling of injury and deep fear. It also represents a sharp contradiction with Washington's recent embrace of Hanoi as Blueck is important against China and a manufacturing destination for many brands of American clothes.
Mr. Lam's proposal to President Trump was put in place in a letter dated Saturday, according to a copy obtained by the New York Times. In the letter, Mr. Lam Lam, Mr. Trump, called for the appointment of an American representative to lead negotiations with Ho Doc Fook, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister, with the aim of reaching an agreement as soon as possible. “
Mr. Lam was one of the first world leaders to reach Mr. Trump after the announcement of the customs tariff. In a phone call, it offered to reduce the definitions of American imports to zero, and Mr. Trump urged the same thing, according to the Vietnamese government. Vietnam said that her tariff for American goods is 9.4 percent on average.
Mr. Trump later described the invitation as “very fruitful”.
In his message, Mr. Lam asked Mr. Trump to meet him personally in Washington at the end of May “to reach a joint agreement on this important issue, in favor of both our peoples and contribute to peace, stability and development in the region and the world.”
The Foreign Ministry in Vietnam did not respond to the request for suspension.
Vietnam, which faces the high tariffs with China, Cambodia and Laos, will be the most difficult economy in Asia if the customs tariff is imposed as planned on Wednesday, according to the economists. The United States is the largest export market in Vietnam, with about 30 percent of the country's total exports. The tariff rate will put 46 percent 5.5 percent of the GDP in Vietnam, according to England, a Dutch financial services company.
It will also harm American consumers, because Vietnam is very important in the global supply chain for manufacturing. For decades, the country has built its economy about attracting foreign investments with cheap labor and a young labor force. It is now the highest trademark company like Adidas and LululeMon. Nike makes about 50 percent of her shoes in Vietnam.
After Mr. Trump imposed a tariff on China during his first term, Vietnam benefited from the companies whose manufacturing has turned there.
Ben Blander, director of the Asia Pacific Program in Chatham House, a London -based research tank, said the speed that Vietnam presented its width from a zero percent tariff reflects the government's concern that some international manufacturers in the country may tend to move to China.
“China has more fireworks and more scope,” said Mr. Bland. “So fear is that you mainly see things like electronics that go to China in the medium term.”
Inside Hanoi, the recent moves made by the Trump administration led to doubts about the reliability of the United States, which in recent years has crashed Vietnam. In 2023, the former aggression strengthened a new strategic relationship, a step that is a milestone in US foreign policy after five decades of the Vietnam War.
The Biden Administration in Vietnam – one of the few Southeast Asian countries that publicly pushed against the Chinese assertion in the South China Sea – looked at the decisive of the American effort to counter China's ambitions in the region.
“The position of Vietnam in the Pacific Ocean, its view in China, and its willingness to work with America, the most powerful card for it,” said Hong Le Thu, deputy director of the Asia Program for the International Crisis Group. “Trump does not see this in this way. He does not see allies or strategic values. He only sees numbers and definitions.”
While explaining the definitions, Mr. Trump said that Vietnam accuses the United States “90 percent”, a figure that apparently depends on the current trade surplus in Vietnam with the United States, at a value of $ 123.5 billion. (Vietnam concluded this account.)
The definitions come at a time fraught with risks for Mr. Lam, who needs to secure strong economic performance and is heading to the party conference next year, where senior leaders in the country will be chosen.
Specifically, the government aims to achieve 8 percent growth in GDP as part of its engine to secure medium income mode, which is an appointment for the World Bank, said Karl John's experts from Asia, a commercial consultant.
Even before Mr. Trump was introduced, Vietnam was working to win the good with the new administration. Temporary deals for the import of American Natural gas were signed, cutting some customs tariffs on American imports, and allowed Spacex to open a company to launch online internet service in Vietnam. Trump is developing a golf course and a $ 1.5 billion golf project in Mr. Lam Province.
Alexandra Stephenson and Matthew Makk Beige contributed to reporting.
