WASHINGTON/HANOI, Oct 3 (Reuters): The United States is opening an investigation into whether Vietnam has been undervaluing its currency and harming US commerce, the US Trade Representative's office said in a statement on Friday night (Oct 2). The probe was launched at President Donald Trump's direction, according to the statement. Vietnam has been on Washington's watch list of currency manipulators because of its trade surplus with the United States, a large current-account surplus and a perception that its central bank has been actively buying foreign currency. Vietnam's central bank governor Le Minh Hung said on Friday that his country "has not intended and will not intend to use monetary policies in general and exchange rates in particular to create unfair competitive advantage in international trade." "We will continue to maintain exchange rate stability and keep inflation under control," Hung told a news briefing after meeting with his Southeast Asian counterparts. Vietnam's trade surplus with the United States, its largest export market, widened to US$37.7 billion in the first eight months of this year from US$29.8 billion in the same period last year, according to Vietnam’s customs data. Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has announced Britain had secured Vietnam's public support for it to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). "This is a significant step in taking the UK-vietnam economic relationship to the next level, and demonstrating the UK's commitment and value to the region," Raab said on Twitter. The CPTPP is a free trade agreement that links Canada, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.
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