US President Donald Trump discussed trade with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc during a White House visit on Wednesday and welcomed the signing of business deals worth billions of dollars and the jobs they would bring. Phuc's meeting with Trump makes him the first Southeast Asian leader to visit the White House under the new administration.
Phuc said on Tuesday he would sign deals for US goods and services worth $15 billion to $17 billion during his Washington visit, mainly for high-technology products and for services.
General Electric Co said earlier it had signed deals with Vietnam worth about $5.58 billion for power generation, aircraft engines and services, its largest ever single combined sale with the country.
They just made a very large order in the United States – and we appreciate that – for many billions of dollars, which means jobs for the United States and great, great equipment for Vietnam.Donald Trump
Phuc told Trump the relationship had undergone "significant upheavals in history," but that the two countries were now "comprehensive partners." However, while Hanoi and Washington have stepped up security cooperation in recent years, trade has become a potential irritant, with a deficit widening steadily in Vietnam's favor, reaching $32 billion last year, compared with $7 billion a decade earlier.
Trump, who has had strong words for countries with large trade surpluses with the United States, said he would be discussing trade with Phuc, as well as North Korea.
Washington has been seeking support for efforts to pressure North Korea to drop its nuclear and missile programs, which have become an increasing threat to the United States. Hanoi has said it shares concerns about North Korea.
On Tuesday, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer expressed concern about the rapid growth of the deficit with Vietnam. He said it was a new challenge for the two countries and he was looking to Phuc to help address it.
Vietnamese Trade Minister Tran Tuan Anh presented Lighthizer on Tuesday with suggestions to address some US concerns, such as advertising on US social media, electronic payment services and imports of information security and farm products, Vietnam's trade ministry said.
Vietnam also urged the United States to remove an inspection program for catfish, speed import licenses for its fruit and make fair decisions on anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures on Vietnamese products, the ministry said.
(This article has been edited for length.)
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