US Trade Representative in Hanoi to boost ties

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai arrived in Vietnam’s Hanoi Monday on a three-day visit to help further cement bilateral trade and investment.

She will meet with Vietnamese government officials, including ones at the Ministry of Investment and Trade, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to her office.

Ambassador Tai will also meet with labor stakeholders and private sector representatives to discuss opportunities for increased cooperation with the U.S. and share the Biden Administration’s priorities for Southeast Asia, including the ongoing negotiations on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.

Her trip to Vietnam comes as Hanoi and Washington will this year celebrate the 10th anniversary of the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership, which has since strengthened the overall relationship and deepened bilateral trade and investment ties.

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, in his working visit to the U.S. in May 2022, told Tai that the Vietnamese government views the economic, trade, investment, and financial relations with the U.S. as a strong driver for boosting the bilateral comprehensive partnership.

Vietnam considers the U.S. one of its top partners, the PM said, adding that Vietnam wants to together with the U.S. deepen the bilateral comprehensive partnership and make it more practical and stable in the long term.