By Ginika Igboke
President Donald Trump has committed to removing Vietnam from the U.S. list of countries restricted from receiving advanced technology exports, according to a statement from Vietnam’s government following a Feb. 20 White House meeting with Vietnamese leader Tô Lâm.
The two leaders discussed expanding bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade and scientific research. The meeting came after Lâm attended the inaugural session of the Board of Peace in Washington, an initiative launched by Trump aimed at resolving global conflicts, including the Gaza crisis.
Lâm, who serves as general secretary of Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party, was among the first leaders to join the initiative. According to Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he told Trump that Vietnam “stands ready to coordinate with the US and other members of the Board to implement the peace plan.”
Trump welcomed Vietnam’s participation, saying it reflected the Southeast Asian nation’s “growing role and standing in the international arena, as well as its strong commitment to global peace, stability, and cooperation,” according to the Vietnamese government’s summary of the talks.
During their discussions, Lâm proposed increasing high-level exchanges and called for open dialogue on trade issues to ensure balanced interests. Trump said he would direct U.S. agencies to remove Vietnam from the strategic export control list (D1–D3) in the near future, the Vietnamese summary stated.
Trump also accepted Lâm’s invitation to visit Vietnam, which has become a key U.S. partner in Southeast Asia amid concerns over Beijing’s growing military influence in the region. The White House did not immediately comment on the reported pledge.
Major Business Deals Announced
The meeting coincided with announcements of major commercial agreements between U.S. and Vietnamese firms. Boeing said Vietnam Airlines agreed to purchase 90 aircraft valued at more than $30 billion, including 50 737 MAX jets. Additionally, Sun PhuQuoc Airways agreed to buy 40 787 Dreamliners.
Trump praised Vietnam’s efforts to rebalance trade and said the deals would support American jobs.
Tariff Developments
The White House meeting occurred hours after the Supreme Court of the United States struck down Trump’s use of an emergency law to impose tariffs, including reciprocal tariffs announced in April 2025.
Soon after the ruling, Trump signed an executive order imposing a 10 percent global tariff under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act, later increasing it to 15 percent on Feb. 21. The temporary tariff is set to last 150 days without congressional extension, during which the administration plans to explore alternative legal avenues.
In 2025, Trump announced reciprocal tariffs targeting countries with large trade surpluses, including Vietnam, which had faced a potential 46 percent rate. The two nations reached a trade agreement in July that reduced the rate to 20 percent, with a 40 percent tariff applied to goods transshipped through Vietnam—often from China—to avoid U.S. duties.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview with Fox News that he expects trading partners that negotiated agreements after the reciprocal tariffs were announced to uphold their commitments.
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