Vietnam says trade talks with US nearly completed; US officials more cautious
SPY•Vietnam said negotiations with the US over a trade deal were nearly complete, but US officials described talks as ongoing. Vietnam’s trade surplus with the US reached $122.6 billion in the first three quarters of the year.
1. Talks continue
Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc said Vietnam had sent the final text of the agreement to the US. US Ambassador Jennifer Wicks said the governments continued to negotiate an agreement on reciprocal trade, while Assistant Secretary of Commerce David Fogel said he was hopeful they would keep working together.
2. Trade and investment
Fogel said the US deficit with Vietnam was its largest with any trading partner. Vietnamese government customs data showed Vietnam’s trade surplus with the US reached $122.6 billion in the first three quarters of the year. Wicks urged Vietnam to adjust data-protection rules and develop predictable energy pricing policies to encourage investment.
