Việtnam and United States Make Major Progress in Fifth Round of Reciprocal Trade Agreement Talks
Hanoi, The Gulf Observer: The fifth round of in-person negotiations on the Việtnam–United States Reciprocal Trade Agreement has concluded successfully following a three-day session held from November 12 to 14 in Washington DC, according to a report issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Việtnam’s negotiating delegation was led by Minister of Industry and Trade and Government Chief Negotiator Nguyễn Hồng Diên, accompanied by members of the negotiation team and representatives from multiple ministries, including Public Security, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Home Affairs, Agriculture and Environment, Science and Technology, Justice, as well as the State Bank of Việtnam.
During the discussions, both sides recorded substantial progress across several key sectors such as services, digital trade, agriculture, technical barriers to trade (TBT), and sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS). Negotiators also succeeded in narrowing differences on remaining contentious issues.
At the closing session, both the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the Vietnamese delegation assessed the round as highly productive, paving the way for the early finalization of the Việtnam–US Reciprocal Trade Agreement.
The United States expressed appreciation for the goodwill, effort, and innovative approach demonstrated by the Vietnamese delegation, especially the outcomes of the direct meeting between Minister Diên and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer just before the technical negotiations commenced. In response to Việtnam’s proposals, the US side offered initial positive feedback and signaled a willingness to review further steps depending on the overall progress of the negotiations.
Both parties also agreed on follow-up actions and committed to holding several online meetings in the coming days to resolve outstanding matters. These discussions will help prepare for a virtual ministerial-level negotiation between Trade Representative Greer and Minister Diên, expected later this month.
On the sidelines of the talks, Minister Diên also held meetings with the US Under Secretary of State, members of the House of Representatives—including the Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee—and engaged with leaders from major US technology and semiconductor firms as well as the Footwear and Apparel Association. These engagements aimed to strengthen bilateral economic, investment, and trade ties while garnering support for Việtnam’s reciprocal trade negotiation efforts.
