Vietnam reassures US of efforts to maintain supply chains: Trade minister

HANOI (Vietnam News/Asia News Network): Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyễn Hồng Diên (pic) held phone talks with US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to discuss bilateral economic and trade issues.

Diên, who is also Chairman of the Vietnam-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council, suggested the US Department of Commerce enhance discussions to recognise Vietnam as a market economy and give objective and fair opinions in line with the World Trade Organisation (WTO)’s regulations in trade defence investigations.

The maintenance of goods supply, manufacturing activities and import-export were the top important priorities of the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade, Diên said in response to concerns over potential disruptions to supply chains in Vietnamdue to the severe ongoing fourth wave of infections.

The Vietnamese minister added that Vietnam would step up vaccinations against Covid-19, creating favourable conditions for firms to mobilise workers back to work, ensure the flow of goods, resume business and production activities, to meeting global chains supply demands, including those of the US firms.

Dien stressed that Vietnam was ready to increase dialogue with the US to deal with existing bilateral economic and trade issues. He also hailed the US for offering opinions to further perfect existing legal framework.

Raimondo said economy and trade remained a high priority under President Joe Biden’s policy, stressing that US enterprises want to invest in many fields in Vietnam, with energy as a top priority.