Expecting Vietnam and the US to find optimal solutions, contributing to promoting economic and trade relations

Regarding this content, Hanoi Moi Newspaper reporters discussed with a number of economic experts and businesses.

Economist, Dr. Nguyen Minh Phong:

Bringing hope for US tax cuts

The phone call between General Secretary To Lam and US President Donald Trump demonstrates Vietnam’s high interest and respect for this issue. This is an important move by Vietnam’s highest leadership.

This is also a flexible and adaptable way of handling the situation, in line with the general trend of the world in response to the new US tax policy. Vietnam did not choose a "hard" approach like some countries, but instead adopted a "softer" approach, proposing a temporary pause and negotiations to find a harmonious solution for both sides. This is a way of behaving in line with Vietnam's position and foreign policy in its relations with the US.

The phone call created expectations about the possibility of US tax adjustments and reductions if Vietnam and its negotiating partners make “reciprocal” commitments that benefit both sides, especially the US. This will bring peace of mind and trust to the business community as well as the Vietnamese people with the Party’s leadership.

The phone call is expected to create a good premise for the upcoming visit of Vietnamese leaders to the US, through which they can negotiate more specifically on related issues, improving the relationship between the two sides in the current good trend.

Economist, Dr. Le Quoc Phuong:

A great step forward in diplomacy

The fact that General Secretary To Lam directly called the US President about reducing taxes to zero, less than 48 hours after the US imposed taxes, shows the quick and timely intervention of our country's highest leaders.

This also demonstrates flexibility and initiative, a big step forward in Vietnam's policy, in line with the current management style of President Donald Trump's administration, to find a common voice.

This also demonstrates Vietnam’s respect for the relationship and diplomatic efforts with the US. General Secretary To Lam’s proposal to reduce tariffs to zero on import and export goods between the two sides, second only to Israel, shows the flexibility of our country’s leaders.

However, the US side has made many other requests, especially related to non-tariff policies, so we still have a lot of work to do if we want the US to lower import taxes on Vietnamese goods.

It is a commitment to purchase goods from the US in the short and long term, thereby balancing the trade turnover between the two countries. The goods that Vietnam needs to import are scientific and technological products, groups of goods with high technology content, etc.

At this time, we need to balance the demands of the US and our national interests, and seek to reach the best possible agreement. In my opinion, this is also an opportunity for Vietnam to restructure its economy, increase the competitiveness and resilience of Vietnamese enterprises.

Dr. Nguyen Thanh Liem, researcher, Korea-ASEAN Research and Technology Cooperation Center (Korea), Vice President of the General Association of Vietnamese in Korea:

Building a balanced and sustainable trade order

Vietnam is currently facing a major challenge from the US tariff policy on goods imported from Vietnam. In this context, Vietnam’s response not only demonstrates its timely policy, but also demonstrates the spirit of “bamboo diplomacy” – flexible but resilient.

From South Korea, we followed the phone call between General Secretary To Lam and US President Donald Trump on the evening of April 4, showing that this is a testament to the spirit of open dialogue and goodwill for cooperation.

The two sides affirmed the importance of strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in line with common interests.

Vietnam has been flexible and quick to respond by proposing to reduce import tariffs to 0% for goods from the US, while calling on the US to apply a similar policy. This reflects a win-win mindset and demonstrates a commitment to building a balanced and sustainable trade order. The Vietnamese government has acted synchronously when Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc proposed to suspend tariffs for 1-3 months for negotiations.

Through this, Vietnam needs to take advantage of free trade agreements, such as CPTPP, EVFTA, RCEP. These steps not only help diversify export markets but also minimize risks from depending on one market.

All these actions demonstrate the mettle of a responsible country, ready for equal dialogue and towards a fair trade order in the turbulent era of globalization.

Vice President of Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, General Director of Vina T&T Group Nguyen Dinh Tung:

Encourage confidence in the business community

General Secretary To Lam immediately made a phone call with US President Donald Trump shows a very positive move, demonstrating Vietnam's initiative and cooperation in resolving tariff issues with the US in the spirit of harmonizing interests, being reasonable and cooperative at the highest level.

This creates confidence and encouragement for the business community. I understand that on social media, the US President highly appreciated the proactive and pioneering actions of Vietnam's senior leaders in resolving the tariff issue with the US.

On the part of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, we have proactively coordinated with representatives of US fruit and vegetable business associations to provide information and data on the import and export of fruits and vegetables, including many fruit products from the US that are in trade deficit with Vietnam, in order to have a voice to the US government and support the negotiation process of the Vietnamese Government.

I also hope that in the future, if we cannot immediately reduce taxes for all industries, we can negotiate with each industry. Even if the US temporarily suspends imposing taxes on Vietnamese goods, it will be a good opportunity for businesses to overcome this difficulty.

In the spirit of cooperation and mutual benefit, I believe that Vietnam and the US will find optimal solutions, contributing to promoting economic and trade relations between the two countries.

Vice President and General Secretary of Hanoi Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, Dr. Mac Quoc Anh:

Businesses do not stop at "waiting" for opportunities

The phone call between General Secretary To Lam and US President Donald Trump on the evening of April 4, although brief, was a positive signal, showing that the leaders of the two countries are ready to discuss core issues related to economic and trade cooperation.

Many businesses have received the news of the phone call with caution and hope. They hope that during the discussion, Vietnam and the United States will agree to promote cooperation, remove trade barriers and create a more favorable corridor for Vietnam's exports.

In the context of the Indo-Pacific region becoming the strategic focus of major powers, the role of Vietnam is increasingly emphasized. On the Association's side, we are optimistic that the Vietnam-US relationship will continue to maintain its impressive growth momentum in the coming years.

However, it is also necessary to recognize the reality that the world economic situation still contains many uncertain factors, such as inflation, high interest rates, geopolitical conflicts, as well as the possibility that the US will increase import control measures to protect domestic production.

Sustainability and transparency of the supply chain will also be increasingly stringent requirements from the US. Therefore, to seize opportunities, the business community should not only stop at “waiting” for opportunities from high-level cooperation, but also proactively improve its governance model, apply technology, improve product quality and production and business efficiency.

The Association once again affirms its readiness to accompany the Government and ministries and branches, act as a bridge with enterprises exporting to the US, continuously provide information and solutions, thereby contributing to further tightening the cooperative relationship between the two countries.

We believe that, with strong determination from both sides, along with the internal driving forces of the Vietnamese economy, import and export activities with the US market will soon be consolidated in a sustainable, transparent direction, bringing benefits to all parties involved.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/ky-vong-viet-nam-va-my-tim-duoc-giai-phap-toi-uu-gop-phan-thuc-day-quan-he-kinh-te-thuong-mai-698012.html