Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam held phone talks with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss the Vietnam-U.S. relations on Friday evening, during which the Party chief emphasized Vietnam’s willingness to negotiate a zero-percent import tariff on goods from the U.S.

The call, attended by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and other senior officials, was the first high-level exchange between the two leaders since President Trump officially assumed office in January. 

According to Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both sides reiterated their wish to further bolster bilateral cooperation for the benefits of both countries, and contribute to peace, stability, and development in the region and the world.

The two leaders also praised the positive momentum in Vietnam-U.S. relations across multiple areas.

They discussed ways to enhance two-way trade.

The Party chief stated that Vietnam stands ready to negotiate a reduction of import tariffs on U.S. products down to zero, signaling a bold step to strengthen economic ties. 

He urged the U.S. to adopt similar measures for Vietnamese exports and to continue importing goods that meet Vietnam’s demand, as well as encouraged expanded U.S. investment in the Southeast Asian country.

The two sides committed to working toward a bilateral trade agreement to formalize these goals.

During the call, Party chief Lam invited President Trump and the First Lady to visit Vietnam in the near future. 

Trump accepted the invitation and said he looks forward to meeting the Vietnamese Party leader again. 

He also asked Party chief Lam to convey his warm regards to the Vietnamese people and leadership.

Following the call, Trump posted on Truth Social: “Just had a very productive call with To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, who told me that Vietnam wants to cut their tariffs down to zero if they are able to make an agreement with the U.S. I thanked him on behalf of our country, and said I look forward to a meeting in the near future.”

A screenshot of U.S. President Donald Trump’s post on Truth Social following his phone talks with Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam on April 4, 2025

This phone conversation came as Vietnam and the U.S. mark 30 years since normalization of diplomatic relations and two years since the elevation of their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

It also followed President Trump’s recent move to impose a 46-percent retaliatory tariff on Vietnamese goods.

Their previous phone conversation took place in November 2024 shortly after Donald Trump was re-elected. At that time, both sides emphasized the importance of strengthening trade and economic cooperation moving forward.

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