Vietnam, New Zealand PMs discuss US tariff policy in phone call

PM Chinh provided a detailed briefing on Vietnam’s recent efforts to engage the U.S. in dialogue following President Trump’s proposed 46-percent reciprocal tariff on Vietnamese goods.

These efforts included a high-level phone conversation between Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam and President Trump on April 4.

PM Chinh emphasized Vietnam’s commitment to fostering balanced and sustainable trade, outlining support measures such as preferential loan interest rates, tax and fee reductions, and administrative cost cuts to help Vietnamese businesses adjust to the changing global trade environment.

He underlined Vietnam’s strategy of maintaining calm, avoiding confrontation, and seeking constructive dialogue amid global trade uncertainty.

He also highlighted that the current global trade challenges present an opportunity for Vietnam to accelerate economic restructuring, promote green and digital transformation, seek new drivers for growth, and further diversify potential export markets.

PM Chinh acknowledged positive developments, including the recent announcement by the top U.S. leader to temporarily delay the imposition of reciprocal tariffs on many trade partners, including Vietnam, for 90 days.

He underscored that Vietnam would continue to actively engage with relevant U.S. agencies to work toward a mutually beneficial trade agreement which will safeguard the legitimate interests of the people and businesses in both countries.

He asserted the need for countries to promote dialogue and mutual understanding, and to strengthen cooperation within multilateral economic frameworks.

PM Luxon welcomed Vietnam’s approach and affirmed New Zealand’s support for open, rules-based international trade systems and resilient supply chains.

He agreed with PM Chinh on the need to deepen cooperation both bilaterally and through multilateral trade frameworks, particularly the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The two leaders reaffirmed their shared goal of boosting bilateral trade to US$3 billion by 2026 and agreed to continue efforts toward market diversification and investment growth.

PM Luxon also echoed support for ASEAN’s central role in regional affairs and expressed willingness to cooperate further to uphold a fair and inclusive multilateral trading system.

This conversation followed a similar call on April 6 between PM Chinh and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim.

PM Ibrahim said that Malaysia and other countries in the region welcomed and highly valued the phone conversation between Party chief Lam and President Trump.

The Malaysian leader also expressed his full support for Vietnam's approach to the tariff issue.

New Zealand, known for its strong advocacy of free and open trade, is also the official CPTPP accession coordinator.

Like the U.S. and Malaysia, New Zealand also maintains a comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam.