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Vietnam faces ‘long’ list of ‘tough’ US demands to cut Chinese imports in tariff talks
If US requests to effectively cut Vietnam’s reliance on China were met, they could pose a serious challenge to the Southeast Asian country’s economy
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The US sent a “long” list of “tough” requests to Vietnam in its tariff negotiations, including demands that could force the country to cut its reliance on Chinese industrial goods imports, two people briefed about the matter said.
Washington wants Vietnam-based factories to reduce their use of materials and components from China and is asking the country to control more carefully its production and supply chains, one of the people briefed on the talks said, without elaborating on whether quantitative targets were included.
The list is part of an “annex” to a framework text prepared by US negotiators, according to four people familiar with the matter.
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One of them, who had direct access to the document, said the list was sent to Hanoi at the end of May after the conclusion of a second round of talks with Washington aimed at avoiding 46 per cent “reciprocal” tariffs on imports from Vietnam.
The sources declined to be named because those discussions were not public.
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Reuters reported on Monday that Donald Trump’s administration wants countries to provide their best offers on trade negotiations by Wednesday, citing a draft letter to negotiating partners.
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