Vietnam urges the United States to delay the imposition of customs duties on it

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.

President Lam Trump’s proposal was made 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 yet Definitions have been announced. 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. A 46 percent tariff rate would put 5.5 percent of GDP in Vietnam, According to the Dutch -based 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.

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. Although Vietnam has fought a decades -long war against the United States, investigative studies have shown that many Vietnamese welcomed the political and strategic influence of the United States.

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, so Vietnam needs a hard attempt.”

Analysts say that Vietnam had a largely positive opinion for Mr. Trump during his first administration, and believes that he is a pragmatic businessman who will not deal with human rights.

While explaining the definitions, Mr. Trump said: “Vietnam: Wonderful negotiators, great people, they love me. I love them.” “The problem” is that the country is receiving the United States “90 percent”, a character It apparently arrived By placing it 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 the risk of Mr. Lam, who was named after Secretary -General The ruling Communist Party in Vietnam last year after the death of the former party leader, Ngawin Bou Trung. Mr. Lam needs to secure strong economic performance as he goes to the party’s conference next year, where senior leaders in the country will be chosen.

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 stadium and a $ 1.5 billion golf project in Nang Yen Province, Mr. Lam Province.

Alexandra Stephenson The reports contributed.