Vietnam and US advance trade partnership in Washington talks

On November 10, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, leading the Vietnamese Government Negotiation Delegation, met with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, head of the US Negotiation Delegation, for a negotiation session in Washington, D.C. The talks focused on advancing bilateral trade cooperation and deepening economic ties between the two countries.

The session was part of the ongoing bilateral negotiations on the reciprocal trade agreement between the two countries.

This was the eighth ministerial-level direct negotiation between the two sides, held right before the official technical-level negotiations scheduled for November 12–14, in Washington, D.C. In an open, frank and constructive atmosphere, the two ministers exchanged views and identified orientations for resolving major outstanding issues, while also discussing matters related to bilateral trade relations.

At the beginning of the session, US Trade Representative Greer reviewed the work that both sides had implemented and highly appreciated the two countries’ agreement on the Joint Statement on the Framework for a Fair and Balanced Reciprocal Trade Agreement, considering it an important basis for accelerating and completing the negotiation process.

He also valued Vietnam’s goodwill, systematic approach and problem-solving manner towards the proposals raised by the US, while recognising the efforts and constructive spirit of the Vietnamese negotiation delegation. He provided frank and rather positive feedback on a number of Vietnam’s proposals.

For Vietnam’s part, Minister Dien said, "Vietnam is determined to build a balanced and sustainable economic and trade relationship with the US. Vietnam has recently undertaken various proactive measures to encourage bilateral trade."

The minister declared that completing the reciprocal trade agreement would further strengthen bilateral relations not only in trade but also in many other areas, in line with the Vietnam - US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

On that basis, Minister Dien made several proposals to help accelerate the negotiation process. He also suggested that both sides adopt a practical and flexible approach for the mutual benefit of the two countries. These proposals were acknowledged by US Trade Representative Greer, who assigned the US technical team to study and discuss them further with the Vietnamese side.

The two ministers agreed that this negotiation session was of great significance in addressing the remaining issues, with a view to soon finalising the reciprocal trade agreement for the benefit of both Vietnam and the US.

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