Tesla and Samsung Oppose New U.S. Tariffs on Vietnam as November 29 Probe Deadline Nears and Business Opinion Splits
Hanoi — Businesses are divided over whether Washington should propose new tariffs on Vietnamese goods this month. According to a Reuters report on November 2, submissions to the U.S. government show Tesla and Samsung are not in favour of new duties, while others have called for penalties; the Trump administration has set a November 29 deadline to conclude a trade probe launched in May over Vietnam's alleged intellectual property violations.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative opened the investigation on May 29 under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, accusing Vietnam of a persistent failure to resolve long-standing concerns about IP protection and enforcement. It is not clear whether any tariffs linked to the IP violations would be general or sector-specific. The United States currently levies a general 12.5% tariff on Vietnamese goods, imposed in July after a separate investigation into alleged failures to prevent imports of goods made with forced labour.
Electric car maker Tesla, in comments sent on July 2, urged the USTR to take into account the supply chain needs of American manufacturers, saying some advanced components and precision manufacturing equipment cannot be sourced domestically despite major investments in U.S. production. Samsung's U.S. unit made a similar argument, noting that Vietnam produces a significant share of the Samsung smartphones and network equipment sold in the U.S. market. Retail groups and trade associations representing industries with extensive manufacturing operations in Vietnam, including footwear, apparel, bicycles and video game consoles, also opposed additional tariffs.
Industry groups representing U.S. producers of steel, seafood, plywood, solar panels and wood products accused Vietnam of unfair practices and called for new tariffs, while the Business Software Alliance pressed for action, citing a large share of unlicensed software on Vietnamese computers. Vietnam has urged Washington to conduct its investigations objectively. Reuters noted that Vietnam's exports to the United States surged 42% in the first eight months of this year compared with the same period in 2025, making it the U.S. trading partner with the largest goods surplus ahead of China and Mexico. (Source: Reuters)
Source: Reuters
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：越南首都河内天际线（资料图）。照片：CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Hanoi, Vietnam skyline (file photo). CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
