Viet Nam, U.S. finalize fifth round of trade talks

The Vietnamese delegation was headed by Minister of Industry and Trade and Government Chief Negotiator Nguyen Hong Dien, with participation from members of the negotiating team and representatives of the Ministries of Public Security, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Home Affairs, Agriculture and Rural Development, Natural Resources and Environment, Science and Technology, Justice, and the State Bank of Viet Nam.

Throughout the session, the Vietnamese and U.S. delegations achieved substantial progress across various areas, including services, digital trade, agriculture, technical barriers to trade (TBT), and sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS). They also narrowed gaps on remaining issues.

At the closing session, both the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the Vietnamese negotiating team described the round as highly productive, paving the way for the early conclusion of the Viet Nam–U.S. Reciprocal Trade Agreement.

The U.S. side appreciated the goodwill, diligence and innovative approach of the Vietnamese delegation, particularly the outcomes of the direct meeting between Minister Nguyen and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer held immediately before the official technical talks. In response to Viet Nam's proposals, the U.S. provided initial positive feedback and signaled willingness to consider further steps based on overall negotiation progress.

The two sides also agreed on follow-up tasks and scheduled several online meetings in the coming days to continue addressing outstanding issues and prepare for a virtual ministerial-level negotiation between Trade Representative Greer and Minister Nguyen, expected later this month.

On the sidelines of the talks, Minister Nguyen also met with the U.S. Under Secretary of State, several members of the House of Representatives—including the Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee—and held discussions with leaders of major U.S. technology and semiconductor firms as well as the Footwear and Apparel Association to promote bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation and build support for Viet Nam's reciprocal trade negotiations./.