Vietnam ready to work with US over concerns about tariff evasion: foreign ministry

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Vietnam is taking measures to prevent origin fraud and illegal transshipment while working with the U.S. to maintain stable and mutually beneficial trade ties.

Hang said Vietnam is committed to promoting healthy trade with its partners on the basis of freedom, fairness and mutual benefit, in line with bilateral and multilateral agreements and World Trade Organization rules.

“Vietnam has also been strengthening its institutions and enforcement capacity for legal frameworks and regulations on preventing origin fraud in particular and trade fraud in general, and is determined to prevent origin fraud and illegal transshipment,” Hang said.

She added that, as part of its international economic integration, Vietnam has made strong international commitments to combat trade fraud and has closely cooperated with partners to ensure those commitments are strictly implemented.

“Vietnam’s efforts have been recognized by the international community,” the spokesperson said.

“We will continue discussing issues of concern to the U.S. in a constructive manner, consistent with the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries."

The discussions are aimed at maintaining stable and mutually beneficial economic and trade relations while contributing to a transparent and healthy investment and business environment in Vietnam, according to the spokesperson.

Last week, the White House released a report on origin fraud and illegal transshipment through third countries to circumvent high U.S. import tariffs.

The report identified 40 U.S. trading partners and divided them into three tiers based on Washington’s assessment of their risk of being used to evade tariffs.

Vietnam was placed in Tier 2, while Tier 1 includes U.S. treaty allies and major trading partners such as Japan, South Korea, the European Union, Canada, and Mexico.

The report did not announce any punitive measures against the countries on the list. Instead, U.S. agencies will work closely together, including using artificial intelligence, to assess whether newly imported shipments may have been illegally transshipped.

Vietnam’s total import-export turnover reached US$52.327 billion in the first 15 days of August, with exports at $25.413 billion and imports at $26.914 billion, according to the Vietnam Customs under the Ministry of Finance.

From the beginning of the year through August 15, cumulative trade turnover exceeded $712 billion. Exports stood at about $345.4 billion, while imports reached $367.3 billion, leaving Vietnam with a trade deficit of nearly $22 billion.

Vietnam’s total import-export turnover is expected to surpass $1 trillion in 2026.

The Vietnam Customs also reported that two-way trade between Vietnam and the U.S. totaled $97.6 billion in the first half of 2026.

Vietnam’s exports stateside reached $86.4 billion, up 21.9 percent from a year earlier, while imports from the U.S. rose 26.7 percent to $11.2 billion.