Vietnam PM urges US to increase fruit imports
“On this occasion we have negotiated a more than U.S. $15 billion deal, mainly on imports from the United States,” Phuc told attendees at a dinner hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce late on Tuesday, suggesting the agreement could be valued at as much as U.S. $17 billion.
The prime minister, who is on a three-day visit to Washington, said he seeks to significantly increase annual trade between the two nations, “making the United States Vietnam’s largest trading partner.”
He urged the U.S. to import more goods such as fruit, textiles, seafood, timber from Vietnam in exchange for high-tech products including aircraft, electrical appliances, smartphones and pharmaceuticals, and pledged to improve conditions to draw additional U.S. investment in Vietnam.
Phuc’s comments followed concerns raised by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer over a U.S. trade deficit with Vietnam that he said had risen to around U.S. $32 billion from U.S. $7 billion a decade ago. Lighthizer had urged Phuc to help rein in the imbalance. The deficit is projected to increase to U.S. $80 billion by 2020. Vietnam is currently Southeast Asia’s biggest exporter to the U.S.
source: rfa.org
