Vietnam’s top leader, To Lam, has called on President Trump to delay the imposition of tariffs for at least 45 days to avoid an economic catastrophe for Vietnam and rising prices for American consumers. The proposed 46 percent tariff rate on Vietnam is among the highest any country faces, causing deep concern in Vietnam, which is a key manufacturing partner for many American apparel brands. President Lam’s request to Trump, outlined in a letter, is to appoint a U.S. representative to negotiate with a Vietnamese deputy prime minister to quickly reach a mutually agreeable solution. Vietnam quickly responded to the initial tariff announcement by offering to drop tariffs on U.S. imports to zero and urging a reciprocal action from the U.S. President Trump’s description of the call with President Lam as “very productive” suggests positivity, and Lam has invited Trump to meet in Washington at the end of May to finalize an agreement. The implementation of the tariffs, set to take effect on Wednesday, poses a significant risk to Vietnam’s GDP and would disrupt the global manufacturing supply chain, affecting American consumers who rely on Vietnamese goods. This move comes at a sensitive time for Vietnam’s leadership, which is working to secure a strong economic performance ahead of next year’s party congress.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/06/world/asia/vietnam-trump-tariff-delay.html