The fifth round of direct negotiations for a Reciprocal Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the United States took place in Washington D.C., from November 12 to 14.
The Vietnamese delegation was led by Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien. The U.S. side was represented by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
Both delegations concluded that the technical negotiation round yielded very positive results, narrowing many gaps and facilitating the early completion of a balanced and fair Reciprocal Trade Agreement framework between the two countries.
Over the three days, technical teams from Vietnam and the U.S. engaged in in-depth discussions across all areas of the draft agreement. Notably, significant progress was made in services, digital trade, agriculture, and the handling of technical barriers to trade (TBT), leading to marked improvements in sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS) and narrowing the gaps in remaining issues.
The U.S. side acknowledged that these advancements were due to the goodwill and flexible, substantive approach of the Vietnamese delegation.
At the conclusion of the talks, the two sides agreed to continue holding multiple online meetings in the coming days, prioritizing unresolved issues and preparing for an online ministerial-level negotiation between Minister Dien and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, expected to take place later in November.
This meeting is planned to be crucial for reviewing progress, resolving policy-related issues, and setting directions, thereby facilitating the finalization of subsequent chapters in the upcoming negotiation rounds.
The Vietnamese delegation reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining a proactive, transparent, and constructive negotiation approach, aiming to achieve a balanced and fair reciprocal trade framework that aligns with the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and the U.S..
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