A employee stitches apparels at a garment manufacturing facility in Vietnam’s Thai Nguyen Province on July 2, 2025.
Nhac Nguyen | Afp | Getty Photographs
President Donald Trump mentioned Wednesday that america has struck a commerce take care of Vietnam that features a 20% tariff on the Southeast Asian nation’s imports to the U.S.
Trump’s announcement on Fact Social mentioned that the deal will give the U.S. tariff-free entry to Vietnam’s markets.
Vietnam additionally agreed that items can be hit with a 40% tariff charge in the event that they originated overseas and had been transferred to Vietnam for ultimate cargo to america.
The method, often called transshipping, is used to bypass commerce obstacles. China, a high exporter to the U.S., has reportedly used Vietnam as a transshipment hub.
Trump wrote that “Vietnam can pay” that 20% responsibility, however tariffs are taxes on international items which might be paid by the importers of these merchandise.
The settlement was unveiled lower than per week earlier than a 90-day pause on lots of Trump’s so-called reciprocal tariffs was set to run out, sending U.S. duties on imports from dozens of nations hovering.
Underneath that protectionist commerce plan, Vietnamese imports to the U.S. had been topic to a 46% blanket tariff. That charge was lowered to 10% in the course of the 90-day interim. Elevating the tariff on Vietnamese items to twenty% will hike prices for U.S. importers, which might be handed on to customers or suppliers.
The S&P 500 nonetheless rose barely on information of the commerce deal.
Learn Trump’s full publish:
“It’s my Nice Honor to announce that I’ve simply made a Commerce Take care of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam after talking with To Lam, the Extremely Revered Normal Secretary of the Communist Get together of Vietnam. It will likely be a Nice Deal of Cooperation between our two Nations. The Phrases are that Vietnam can pay america a 20% Tariff on any and all items despatched into our Territory, and a 40% Tariff on any Transshipping. In return, Vietnam will do one thing that they’ve by no means finished earlier than, give america of America TOTAL ACCESS to their Markets for Commerce. In different phrases, they are going to “OPEN THEIR MARKET TO THE UNITED STATES,” which means that, we will promote our product into Vietnam at ZERO Tariff. It’s my opinion that the SUV or, as it’s typically referred to, Giant Engine Automobile, which does so nicely in america, will probably be an exquisite addition to the assorted product strains inside Vietnam. Coping with Normal Secretary To Lam, which I did personally, was an absolute pleasure. Thanks to your consideration to this matter!”
It was unclear from Trump’s publish when the deal will take impact, or if it has been formally signed by each events. CNBC tried to verify the tariff charges with White Home aides, who mentioned extra data can be forthcoming however didn’t repeat the president’s numbers.
Trump has signaled that he could ignore or revise the upcoming deadline for his reciprocal tariffs to snap again greater. The 90-day pause, which lowered tariffs on almost all different international locations to a blanket 10% charge, was imposed in early April to present international locations respiratory room whereas they negotiate offers with the U.S.
With the deadline approaching, the Trump administration has solely struck revised commerce frameworks with China and the UK, although it has repeatedly mentioned the U.S. is near offers with quite a few different international locations.
Vietnam, whose exports to the U.S. reportedly comprised 30% of its gross home product final 12 months, is very weak to Trump’s tariffs.
Critics of Trump’s unpredictable tariff insurance policies warn that the duties create financial uncertainty and can lead to greater costs for U.S. customers. The Trump administration and its defenders counter that tariffs don’t trigger inflation and observe that the president’s duties have introduced in billions of {dollars} to the U.S. authorities.
A pricing mannequin created for CNBC this month by retail consulting group AlixPartners discovered {that a} 10% U.S. tariff on Vietnamese items would trigger the value of an imported males’s sweater to rise by about 8%. Underneath the 46% tariff Trump initially slapped on Vietnam, the value of that very same sweater would rise roughly 35%, the group discovered.
U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell mentioned Tuesday that officers anticipate that the impacts of Trump’s tariffs will begin to present up extra in the course of the summer season months.
Costs on sure objects, together with attire and footwear, are already ticking greater because of the tariffs, CNBC has reported.
Some analysts consider the shortage of a widespread influence on U.S. costs to date is the results of pre-tariff stockpiling by corporations, in addition to the time it takes for these tariffs to point out up within the economic system.
— CNBC’s Courtney Reagan contributed to this report.
