PM to visit U.S. next week

Earlier on April 20, U.S. National Security Adviser Herbert Raymond McMaster conveyed President Donald Trump’s invitation letter to invite PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc to pay an official visit to the U.S. at his meeting with Deputy PM, FM Pham Binh Minh.

On December 14, 2016, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc held phone talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.

President Trump spoke highly of the achievements Viet Nam gained over the past time as well as the positive developments in the bilateral ties.

He also asserted his wishes to cooperate with Viet Nam to accelerate the relationship between the two countries.

The two took the occasion to discuss orientations and measures to strengthen economic, trade and investment ties in the time to come.

Viet Nam and the U.S. established comprehensive partnership in July 2013 to provide an overarching framework for advancing the relationship.

U.S. exports to Viet Nam in 2016 were US$10.2 billion, up 43% from 2015 and up 823% over the past decade.  

Key U.S. goods exports include electrical machinery, aluminum, aircraft, cotton and machinery.  Viet Nam is the U.S.'s 10th largest agricultural export market, with exports totaling US$2.7 billion in 2016.  

Still, the U.S. maintains a goods trade deficit with Viet Nam, which totaled $32 billion in 2016.  In the year, Viet Nam was the U.S.'s 16th largest  trade partner with US$52.3 billion in total two-way trade, while the U.S. was Viet Nam’s largest trade partner after China.

By Thuy Dung