During a working visit to the US from August 27-28, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Van Thang held meetings with senior officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the US Department of State and the US Department of Commerce.
At a meeting with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the two sides discussed measures to promote a more balanced, sustainable and mutually beneficial bilateral trade relationship, as well as progress in negotiations on the Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair and Balanced Trade (ART).
The Deputy Prime Minister said Vietnam attaches importance to keeping global supply chains running smoothly and wants to deepen trade cooperation with the US. He affirmed Vietnam’s readiness for open and constructive discussions on issues of concern to the US.
Greer expressed his desire to work closely with Vietnam to bring the ART negotiations to an early conclusion. He also acknowledged Vietnam’s request that the US give positive and objective consideration to the country’s efforts to address issues of mutual concern and facilitate access for Vietnamese exports to the US market.
During talks with US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg, Deputy Prime Minister Thang reaffirmed Vietnam’s consistent foreign policy of independence and self-reliance, saying the country wants to continue cooperating with the US in a spirit of openness, transparency and mutual benefit.
Vietnam welcomes US technology companies expanding investment, transferring technology, training high-quality human resources and supporting the country’s deeper participation in global supply chains.
Helberg praised the progress made in Vietnam-US relations, particularly in economic and trade ties. He agreed on the need to strengthen dialogue and cooperation in strategic and foundational areas including science and technology, innovation, artificial intelligence, the digital economy and digital infrastructure.
He also expressed readiness to work with Vietnam in exploring appropriate incentive mechanisms and policies to encourage US companies to expand their presence and make long-term investments in the country.
At meetings with US Department of Commerce officials, including Under Secretary Jeffrey Kessler and Under Secretary William Kimmitt, the two sides agreed that economic and trade ties remain a bright spot and an important pillar of the bilateral relationship.
Deputy Prime Minister Thang called on the US Department of Commerce to continue supporting balanced and sustainable trade and investment cooperation. He also urged the US to promptly remove Vietnam from the D1 and D3 export control lists, consider recognizing Vietnam as a market economy, and adopt an objective and fair approach to trade remedy cases involving Vietnamese goods.
He expressed hope that the two countries would soon conclude the ART negotiations, providing a foundation for bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation.
US Department of Commerce officials agreed that there is considerable potential for cooperation between the two countries, particularly in trade, investment, technology, energy and critical minerals.
The two sides also discussed a range of measures to improve market access for businesses from both countries, remove barriers and broaden opportunities for trade and investment cooperation.
During the visit, Deputy Prime Minister Thang also attended a business roundtable and met representatives of around 60 US companies, corporations, financial institutions and investors operating in banking and finance, digital technology, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, energy, aviation and logistics. Participants included Visa, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Qualcomm, Caterpillar and Atlas Air.
