Facing tariffs, Vietnam requests support from American clothing brands

Hanoi - Hanoi invited American textile companies to support Vietnam with the Trump administration in its efforts to avoid a 46 percent tariff that would damage trade between the two countries.

Vietnam, which mass-produces clothing and footwear for international brands, worked tirelessly to meet the demands of its main client, the US.

Industry and Trade minister Nguyen Hong Dien met with the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) in the US on Monday, April 7. The AAFA represents over one thousand brands, distributors and manufacturers. The ministry made the announcement on Tuesday evening.

Dien, responsible for conducting the negotiations on behalf of his government, also spoke with ‘major American groups’, including Gap, Levi Strauss and Under Armour, according to the ministry’s statement.

‘The minister reaffirmed Vietnam’s availability to be a reliable partner in the global supply chain and expressed the desire to strengthen cooperation for fair and sustainable trade,’ according to the statement.

President Donald Trump’s obsession with restoring the American trade balance caused concern for Vietnamese authorities, who rely heavily on exports to continue the country’s economic development after decades of war.

Trump threatened to impose a 46 percent tariff on goods purchased from Vietnam, including textiles, if an agreement that would balance trade was not reached in the coming weeks.

In 2024, the US purchased around 136 billion dollars worth of goods from Vietnam and sold 13 billion dollars worth of goods. The 123-billion-dollar deficit, up 18 percent year-over-year (YoY) from 2023, was the third highest total for Washington, after China and Mexico.

This week, American companies based in Vietnam urged the White House to reduce the tariffs it planned to impose.

Hanoi also made several gestures towards American companies and the Trump family, who recently launched the construction of a 1.5-billion-dollar luxury hotel complex near Hanoi in partnership with a local developer.

Vietnam also committed to purchasing over two billion dollars worth of American agricultural products.