Hanoi: Vietnam is stepping up efforts to secure new trade agreements in a bid to counter the mounting impact of U.S. tariffs on its exports. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated that Hanoi is actively pursuing free trade deals with Latin America’s Mercosur bloc and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, aiming to finalize these agreements before the year’s end. This move is seen as a strategic response to safeguard Vietnam’s export-driven economy from the uncertainties created by rising trade tensions with its largest trading partner.

Recent analyses from the United Nations Development Programme indicate that the U.S. tariffs could slash Vietnam’s exports to America by as much as 20%, marking the country as the hardest-hit in Southeast Asia. Despite this challenge, Prime Minister Chin

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