conv.

All stories
BusinessNew · 5h

Vietnam Says US Trade Deal Nearly Complete, but Washington Hedges

Hanoi submits final text of a reciprocal trade agreement after a year of talks, while US officials stop short of confirming a deal is close.

newest coverage 2h agosummary written 2h ago6 pieces NewswiresMastodon

What to know

  • Vietnam's trade surplus with the US exceeded $163 billion in January-August 2026, the largest US deficit with any trading partner.
  • Two of three US Section 301 investigations into Vietnam (overcapacity, IP protection) remain open and could trigger further tariffs beyond the existing 12.5% forced-labor-linked duty.
  • US officials are conditioning progress on Vietnam reforming cross-border data rules and energy pricing policy, not just on the submitted trade text.
  • Vietnam's To Lam has been invited to the December G20 summit in Florida, seen as a potential moment to formally seal any agreement.

“hopeful”

David Fogel, US Assistant Secretary of Commerce · Investing.com News ↗ · Oct 13

Pham Gia Tuc Vietnamese Deputy Prime MinisterJennifer Wicks US Ambassador to VietnamDavid Fogel US Assistant Secretary of CommerceTo Lam Vietnam's top leaderTrump administration US government

Vietnam Says US Trade Deal Nearly Complete, but Washington Hedges
Investing.com News

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 2 pieces in one quarter hour at Yesterday, 11 PM; 6 pieces over 6 hours (5 articles · 1 post) Yesterday, 11:09 PM — 2 pieces · 1 article · 1 post — Mastodon 1, Newswires 1Yesterday, 11:24 PM — quietYesterday, 11:39 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Yesterday, 11:54 PM — quietToday, 12:09 AM — quietToday, 12:24 AM — quietToday, 12:39 AM — quietToday, 12:54 AM — quietToday, 1:09 AM — quietToday, 1:24 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Today, 1:39 AM — quietToday, 1:54 AM — quietToday, 2:09 AM — quietToday, 2:24 AM — quietToday, 2:39 AM — quietToday, 2:54 AM — quietToday, 3:09 AM — quietToday, 3:24 AM — quietToday, 3:39 AM — quietToday, 3:54 AM — quietToday, 4:09 AM — quietToday, 4:24 AM — quietToday, 4:39 AM — quietToday, 4:54 AM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Newswires 2 ◂ 1 earlier2
today2 AM4 AMnow · 5:09 AM ET
  1. upcoming

    Forced-labor probe yields 12.5% tariffs on Vietnamese goods — One of the three investigations, covering alleged failures to prevent the use of forced-labor-made goods, concluded with 12.5% tariffs on Vietnamese products, higher than most regional peers.

  2. 2

    G20 Florida invite to Vietnam's To Lam raises deal-signing hopes

    Vietnamese state media reported that top leader To Lam has been invited to attend the G20 summit in Florida in December, fueling speculation that any finalized trade agreement could be formally sealed at that event.

  3. 1

    Fogel floats US 'super-intelligence hardware' exports to Vietnam

    Fogel urged Vietnamese businesses to invest more in the US and said the US could export advanced AI hardware to Vietnam as a way to help balance trade flows, despite Vietnam currently facing restrictions on access to the most advanced US technology.

    “we look forward to working with Vietnam to bring world-class super-intelligence hardware and innovative solutions…”
    — David Fogel
  4. background

    US officials Wicks and Fogel strike more cautious tone — US ambassador Jennifer Wicks said talks were ongoing and urged Vietnam to reform data-protection and energy-pricing rules, while commerce official David Fogel called himself "hopeful" but stressed the US deficit with Vietnam is its largest with any trading partner, exceeding $163 billion in January-August.

  5. background

    Vietnam's Pham Gia Tuc says trade deal talks nearly done — At a business forum in Hanoi, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc said negotiations with the US are nearly complete and that Vietnam has sent the final text of the agreement to Washington, while also seeking a fair outcome in ongoing Section 301 probes into overcapacity and IP issues.

  6. background

    Supreme Court strikes down Trump's global tariffs, prompting Vietnam probes — After the Supreme Court struck down the US's global tariff regime in February, the Trump administration launched three separate investigations into Vietnam's trade practices, including alleged transshipment of Chinese goods.

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 3 outlets Vietnam says trade talks with US nearly completed; US officials more cautious

    first by Reuters, just now · also Investing.com News, Channel News Asia

and 2 smaller pieces