According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Son, who heads the group on strengthening cooperation and proactively adapting to U.S. economic and trade policy adjustments, held a meeting with the U.S. ambassador to Vietnam at the government office on Sunday.
He reaffirmed Vietnam’s key messages following Party General Secretary To Lam’s telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump on April 4.
He said Vietnam is willing to negotiate the elimination of import tariffs on U.S. goods, increase purchases of American products required by its market and create more favorable conditions for U.S. businesses to invest and operate in Vietnam.
Vietnam has called on Trump to defer the tariffs on Vietnamese goods until negotiations wrap up.
Son told Knapper that a special envoy, Deputy PM Ho Duc Phoc, has gone to the U.S. to elaborate on these proposals.
He called on the U.S. to prioritize meetings between U.S. officials and Phoc to strike a quick agreement.
He acknowledged the U.S.’s concerns about trade imbalances but expressed regret over the decision to impose steep tariffs on Vietnamese goods.
It does not reflect the reality of Vietnam-U.S. economic ties or the spirit of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and could impact their strong economic ties, he warned.
Both nations should fully cooperate in all areas, including sustaining and expanding humanitarian assistance and post-war recovery efforts in Vietnam, he said.
Knapper reaffirmed Vietnam’s strategic importance to the U.S. and praised its prompt and constructive response to his country’s concerns.
He emphasized the significance of the April 4 phone call between Lam and Trump, noting it was the latter’s first conversation with a foreign leader following the tariff announcement, a clear sign of mutual respect and attention to bilateral relations.
He also commended the active and substantive dialogue between both sides in recent months, which he believed laid the groundwork for the leaders’ meaningful exchange.
He promised to coordinate preparations for Phoc’s visit to the U.S.
He thanked Vietnam for its constructive approach and understanding, noting that the forthcoming meetings would be an opportunity to discuss solutions that put bilateral trade relations back on a healthy and mutually beneficial path.
On April 2, Trump announced reciprocal import tariffs of 10-50% on goods from over 180 trading partners.
Vietnam was hit with one of the highest rates of 46%.
According to data from Vietnam Customs, in 2024 Vietnam exported US$119.5 billion worth of goods to the U.S. and imported $15.1 billion worth.
