US, Vietnamese businesses urge tariff delay on Vietnamese goods

US and Vietnamese business groups have urged the Trump administration to delay a planned 46 per cent tariff on Vietnamese imports, warning the move would harm bilateral trade and US companies.

In a joint letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the American Chamber of Commerce in Hanoi described the tariff, set to take effect Wednesday, as “shockingly high.”

The groups said the levy would hurt US consumers and businesses reliant on Vietnamese goods and called instead for lower tariffs and a quick agreement to address the trade imbalance.

Vietnam, a key manufacturing hub for US firms, posted a $123 billion trade surplus with the United States last year. President Donald Trump and Vietnamese President To Lam agreed in a phone call on Friday to pursue a deal to lift the tariffs.

Vietnam had already reduced several duties and pledged to increase purchases of US goods, including aircraft and agricultural products, in an effort to ease trade tensions.

Attribution: Reuters
Subediting: M. S. Salama