The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that on April 6, 2025, at the Government Headquarters, Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son, Head of the Working Group on enhancing cooperation and proactively adapting to the adjustment of US economic and trade policies, received US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc E. Knapper.
At the meeting, sharing about the important meaning of the phone call between General Secretary To Lam and President Donald Trump on April 4, Deputy Prime Minister confirmed the great messages of the General Secretary, whereby Vietnam is ready to negotiate to bring the import tax rate to 0% for American goods, enhance the procurement of strong American goods and Vietnam in need, and create more favorable conditions in Vietnam; At the same time, President Donald Trump asked President Donald Trump to delay the time limit for imposing tax on Vietnamese goods in the process of tariff negotiations between the two countries.
Deputy Prime Minister informed Ambassador Marc E. Knapper about General Secretary To Lam sent a special envoy, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc to the United States to continue concretizing these contents, suggesting the US priority to arrange meetings of Deputy Prime Ministers and delegations with American partners, in order to soon reach agreement, for the benefit of the people and businesses of the two countries.
Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son said that Vietnam shares the US's interest in balancing the trade balance, but regrets the US decision to impose a very high counterpart tax on Vietnamese exports, affecting businesses of the two countries and especially affecting millions of Vietnamese people.
The Deputy Prime Minister said that the decision to apply countervailing taxes is not in line with the reality of bilateral economic and trade cooperation and does not properly reflect the spirit of the Vietnam - US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, negatively affecting the well-developed economic and trade relations between the two countries.
On this occasion, Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son suggested that the two sides coordinated to comprehensively deploy cooperation in all areas of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries; Emphasizing the cooperation to overcome the consequences of the war is a very important basis in the two countries 'relations, and highly appreciated the recent ambassador Knapper and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' leaders in Quang Tri province, visiting the scene of clearing mines and seeking the remains of American soldiers missing in the Vietnam War.
The Deputy Prime Minister asked US Ambassador Marc E. Knapper to continue supporting and promoting the United States to continue maintaining and expanding the implementation of humanitarian support projects, overcoming the consequences of war in Vietnam, especially in 2025 on the 30th anniversary of the two countries establishing diplomatic relations.
Sharing the assessments and opinions of Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son, US Ambassador Marc Knapper affirmed that Vietnam is a partner of strategic importance to the US. Ambassador Knapper affirmed that the leaders of the Party, Government and ministries of Vietnam have taken quick and positive actions towards the concerns of the US side.
Ambassador Knapper especially appreciated the high-level phone call on April 4 between General Secretary To Lam and President Donald Trump, which was President Trump's first phone call with a foreign leader after announcing the tax, expressing the two leaders' respect and concern for bilateral relations.
Ambassador Knapper also highly appreciated the fact that the two sides have had active and specific exchanges and cooperation over the past many months, and contributed to the real and effective conduct of the exchanges between the two leaders; affirmed that they will coordinate best to prepare for the working trip of Special Envoy General Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc.
Ambassador Knapper thanked Vietnam for its positive approach, understanding the concerns from the US side, and said that the upcoming exchanges are an opportunity for the two sides to discuss and propose solutions to put trade relations on the path of healthy and mutually beneficial development.
US Ambassador Marc E. Knapper emphasized that in 2025, it is important in the two countries' relations with the two sides celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, marking the 50 -year -end war in Vietnam, the US Embassy in Hanoi will make efforts with the Vietnamese agencies to implement an effective agenda, deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership, of which the Ambassador will focus on the highest level of the ambassador to promote the highest level of the ambassador to the highest level of the ambassador to promote the highest level of the ambassador to the highest level of the ambassador to promote the highest level of the ambassador to promote the highest level at the same level. Like other comprehensive cooperation areas between the two countries.
