Vietnam’s foreign ministry has pushed back against U.S. Trade Representative findings that suggest the Southeast Asian nation has not done enough to prevent trade involving goods produced through forced labor.
Speaking at a Thursday press briefing in Hanoi, foreign ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang stated that the U.S. assessment “does not fully or accurately reflect Vietnam’s mitigation efforts.”
“Vietnam’s policy strictly prohibits any form of forced labour, and it complies with the regulations of the International Labour Organization,” Hang explained during the regular press conference.
The disagreement follows the Trump administration’s announcement earlier this week of proposed tariffs reaching 12.5% on goods from 60 nations, including Vietnam. The administration determined these countries had not adequately addressed trade involving forced labor products, a claim that affected trading partners have disputed.
This investigation has occurred alongside a dramatic increase in Vietnamese exports to America. During the first quarter of this year, the U.S. trade deficit with Vietnam hit $54.8 billion, ranking second only to Taiwan and exceeding deficits with major exporters China and Mexico, according to U.S. trade data.
The Trump administration has consistently expressed its goal of reducing trade deficits with other nations.
“Vietnam has been and will continue to exchange and work with the United States in a constructive and cooperative manner to resolve existing disagreements, while always trying to protect legitimate interests of workers and businesses,” Hang stated.
The Trump administration has focused on Vietnam for what it considers trade distortions through excess capacity, intellectual property violations and the use of goods from forced labour.
