A truck transports a container toward the entrance of the Phnom Penh Autonomous Port on April 3, 2025. Photo by TANG CHHIN Sothy / AFP
Hanoi: Vietnam's prime minister requested the immediate establishment of a "rapid response team" after the country was hit with massive tariffs of 46 percent by the United States, the government's official news portal said Thursday.
During a meeting of the government standing committee, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said ministries must be "calm, courageous (and) have proactive, flexible, timely and effective responses to all developments", a statement on the news portal said.
One of the worst-hit trading partners, Vietnam is also sending Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc on a "working visit to the United States", a separate statement on the news portal said Thursday.
The announcement came after Vietnam cut import duties earlier this week on a range of goods including cars, liquefied gas and some agricultural products in what appeared to be a pre-emptive attempt to blunt US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs.
Washington's trade deficit with Vietnam is the third-highest of any country, after China and Mexico.
