Almost one year ago, Trump's sweeping April 2025 tariff announcement reshaped Vietnam's trade calculus overnight. The situation today is less dramatic but arguably more complicated.
The IEEPA (International Emergency Economic Powers Act) tariffs that defined the past year were struck down by the US Supreme Court in February. In their place: a 15% temporary surcharge under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, effective February 24 and expiring July 24 unless Congress acts. VASEP (Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers) has been warning its members to treat this moment as a window, not a resolution.
The sharper concern is what comes next. On March 11, the USTR (US Trade Representative) launched Section 301 investigations targeting countries with bilateral framework agreements — Vietnam included. Anti-dumping inquiries on Vietnamese steel products are active. The architecture of the next phase of US-Vietnam trade pressure is being built in real time.
The behavioral response on the Vietnamese side is clear: push order volumes while the rate is in a known state, before the next disruption. For US importers sourcing from Vietnam — apparel, furniture, electronics, seafood — the same logic applies. If you're not thinking about order timing between now and July 24, you probably should be.
Full read in the first issue. As always, please email me with any questions. I love hearing from you!
TL;DR: US tariffs on Vietnamese goods sit at 15% under a temporary mechanism that expires July 24. New Section 301 investigations targeting Vietnam launched March 11. Vietnamese exporters and US importers sourcing from Vietnam are racing the same clock. It expires in less than four months.