The contents of this article are written with authoritative materials and personal opinions. The source of the literature has been marked at the end of the article, so please know.
Recently, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on his social platform that the United States had reached a tariff agreement with Vietnam. The United States will impose a 20% tariff on Vietnamese goods, while Vietnam will impose zero tariffs on American goods.
Trump also particularly emphasized that all goods transshipped through Vietnam will face a heavy tax of 40%.
The statement quickly attracted international attention, but the Vietnamese government’s response was abnormally silent, and the mainstream media collectively silenced, a bizarre atmosphere that sparked widespread speculation in the international community.
In fact, the Vietnamese negotiating team originally expected the tax rate to be between 10 and 15 percent, and some members even thought the tax rate agreed by the two sides was close to 11 percent.
However, when Trump talked with Vietnamese leaders, he suddenly raised the tax rate to 20%, and unilaterally announced that the agreement had been reached after the call, without seeking the final opinion of Vietnam at all.
The practice offended the Vietnamese government, and a Vietnamese official involved in the talks privately said the last-minute rumor was “unacceptable.”
A White House assistant tried to counter that Vietnam had known the final tax rate before the call, and stressed that "the two leaders approved the results of the team consultation."
However, a survey by the US "Political News Network" found that, The Vietnamese side is extremely angry at Trump’s “20% tariff” claim, as the 11% is clearly on the negotiating table, but the price is unilaterally raised to 20% at the end.
More importantly, Vietnam has not officially signed the agreement so far. Despite Trump's claims that Surin had agreed to the terms, neither side released any written agreement text.
Reuters’s investigation found that Vietnam’s official statements only vaguely refer to “consensus achieved” and avoidance of specific tax rates.This vague attitude suggests that the so-called “deal” is likely to be just Trump’s unilateral performance.
A Washington lobbyist said: "Trump put everyone together."
Faced with this unilateral behavior by the United States, the Vietnamese government finally broke the silence and took a series of harsh measures.First, the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry summoned the U.S. ambassador to Vietnam and formally protested the tariff issue.
Vietnamese officials made it clear that they never accepted the 20% tax rate or even knew nothing about it. Second, Vietnam announced that it would launch a dispute settlement process within the World Trade Organization (WTO) to seek a multilateral settlement of trade frictions with the United States.
Vietnam has also announced retaliatory tariffs of 15 percent on US agricultural products and natural gas worth $3.8 billion, which are seen as Vietnam’s response to the US.
It is worth noting that although the Trump administration tried to ease tensions through diplomatic channels and even sent senior officials to contact Vietnam, Vietnam's attitude remained firm.
Vietnam’s Deputy Trade Minister, Ban Ki-moon, openly said seven days after Trump’s announcement that Vietnam would develop measures to improve the quality of goods to address the potential risks posed by U.S. tariffs and seek to expand exports to other markets.
This statement clearly shows that Vietnam does not consider any agreement with the United States at all, nor will it be easy to compromise under US pressure.
Vietnam's dilemma lies in its high dependence on the US market. Data show that Vietnam's exports to the United States will reach nearly US $150 billion in 2024, making it the sixth largest source of imports for the United States.
This economic link puts Vietnam in a relatively weak position in the negotiations, but it also means that the actions of the United States may have a serious impact on Vietnam's economy.
However, Vietnam did not choose to completely yield, but demonstrated its determination to defend its own interests through a series of measures.
The business interests of the Trump family were also involved in the negotiation process. In May 2025, the Trump Organization announced an investment of US $1.5 billion to build a golf resort project in Vietnam.
The project received "special support" from the Vietnamese government during the approval process, and the approval process, which usually takes months or even years, was completed in just a few days.
This time point is highly coincidental with the U.S.-Vietnam tariff talks, sparking speculation that the Trump family may use political status to serve business interests.
According to a letter received by the New York Times, Vietnamese officials have made it clear that the project needs “special support from the top level of the government” because it “has received special attention from the Trump administration and the president himself.”
This special treatment raises questions among legal experts, with Vietnamese legal professionals pointing out that there may be procedural violations in the environmental assessment and land use of projects.
Vietnam has also stepped up its efforts to expand to other markets. Vietnamese officials have repeatedly said they want to deepen cooperation with economies such as ASEAN, China and the European Union to reduce dependence on the US market.
During the US-Vietnam talks, Viet Nam’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Pe Qingshan, actively met with China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Malaysia, expressing his “willingness to jointly safeguard the multilateral trade rules with China.”
Wang Yi responded that China “regarded Vietnam as a neighboring diplomatic priority” and invited Vietnam to join the BRICS cooperation mechanism to support its early accession to the SCO.
From a broader perspective, the trade conflict reflects the arbitrariness and unpredictability of U.S. trade policy.
From the "no-difference tax increase" on its ally Japan and South Korea, to the differential treatment of the Philippines, to the "last-minute change of tax rates" on Vietnam, Trump's "tariff giant" has always shown illusory characteristics.
Harry, a former assistant to the U.S. Trade Representative, once commented: "The president's approach has ruined the credibility of negotiators." This unilateralism not only angered opponents, but even surprised some people within the United States.
Vietnam’s case shows that in today’s globalized world, no country should put its hope in the single market.Vietnam needs to learn from this experience, accelerate the pace of economic diversification and reduce its dependence on the US market.
At the same time, Vietnam is also actively promoting domestic industrial upgrading and increasing the rate of localization in order to enhance its competitiveness in the global supply chain.
According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam, in the first quarter of 2025, 37% of the goods exported by Vietnam to the United States, parts and raw materials come from China.
This profound dependence means that Vietnam’s economic development is closely linked to China, and the impact of cutting off the supply chain can never be achieved overnight.
Overall, Vietnam responded to U.S. unilateralism through diplomatic protests, WTO lawsuits and economic countermeasures.
Despite the Trump administration's attempts to plead or exert pressure, Vietnam's attitude remains firm. The event not only exposed the arbitrary and unpredictable nature of U.S. trade policy, but also demonstrated the determination and ability of small nations to defend their own interests in the game of great powers.
In the future, Vietnam may continue to pursue a diversified diplomatic strategy, whileining ties with the U.S. economy and strengthening cooperation with other economies to reduce potential risks.
References:
1. "Trump said Vietnam agreed to" zero tariffs "on the United States, and the United States will impose a 40% tariff on re-exports from third countries" 2025-07-03 09:45 | Source: Jiemian News
2. "Trump Organization's US $1.5 billion golf course and real estate project starts construction in Vietnam. Trump's second son: guaranteed to be completed within 2 years" 2025-05-22 16:50 | Source: Red Star News