On April 2, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing reciprocal tariffs on goods imported from all countries and tariff regions into the US. In this executive order, Vietnam is among the countries subject to the highest reciprocal tariffs (up to 46%).

The Vietnamese Party and State immediately took proactive, positive and creative steps to respond to this US tariff policy. On April 9, the US announced a 90-day suspension of these individual tariffs with most partners to pave the way for bilateral negotiations.

However, the risk of reciprocal taxes in the US market is still very complicated and unpredictable, leading to great risks and challenges for import and export in particular and business activities of Vietnamese enterprises in general.

As one of the industries directly affected by the US reciprocal tariffs, the Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex) promptly organized a market conference right after Washington's move to update the situation and develop response scenarios.

According to Mr. Le Tien Truong - Chairman of Vinatex's Board of Directors, after the US announced the tax roadmap on April 3, many customers temporarily suspended orders, causing the market to slow down. However, just a week later, when President Trump announced the temporary suspension of the application, customers immediately pressed for production progress, requesting that orders be completed within the next 90 days.

Vinatex is also actively negotiating with customers in the spirit of risk sharing, while seeking new markets, alternative sources of raw materials, optimizing management processes and activating system-wide coordination mechanisms like during the COVID-19 period.

Although the US is considering a reciprocal tax rate of up to 46% on Vietnamese textiles and garments – much higher than expected, Vinatex leaders still assess that this difference is much lower than China and not too high compared to other competitors. At the same time, the company is also considering increasing the use of US cotton to balance the trade balance and support the negotiation process with the US.

Faced with new developments in global tariff policies, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietnam Textile and Garment Group Le Tien Truong shared sincere and timely thoughts with the entire group's employees.

According to Mr. Truong, this is a special period, the whole system needs to maintain a calm spirit, be ready to work and produce at the highest efficiency in the next 90 days, maximize output, and be determined to reach the second quarter order target.

He called on the group's workers and managers to be calm, clear-headed, trust in the group's leadership and the leaders of the businesses, and ensure the best production to overcome difficulties.

Along with production activities, Vinatex also proposed and called on the Vietnam Garment and Textile Trade Union to launch the 2025 Workers' Month with a competitive spirit in production, completing orders in the second quarter on time.

"Productivity, quality, and output in this period can be said to be the immediate problem we need to achieve to ensure the effectiveness of 2025 to retain customers, maintain trust, and position in the supply chain.

After 90 days of tax deferral, there may be many other policies for the Vietnamese garment industry, but we also believe that with the efforts of the Party and the State with a smart and flexible approach, Vietnamese textiles in particular and all products from Vietnam in general going to the US will receive the most appropriate tax rate, as well as still ensuring Vietnam's competitiveness," Mr. Truong emphasized.

As a major exporter in the stationery industry, Thien Long Group is also under pressure from escalating tariff policies. However, according to Chairman of the Board of Directors Co Gia Tho, Thien Long is still “standing firm” thanks to its advantages of understanding the market, wide distribution system and solid production capacity.

At the shareholders’ meeting on April 10, Mr. Tho emphasized that although cheap goods may be flooding in, Thien Long still maintains its position. The company has worked with suppliers to minimize the impact of tariffs from the US, while stockpiling enough raw materials for the season. Thien Long still maintains its export growth target of 22% in 2025, despite forecasts of many challenges in the market. The company is also close to closing a strategic M&A deal to expand its competitiveness in the new context.

In the logistics sector, Gemadept Corporation said it has prepared scenarios to respond to the new US tax policy. Currently, the proportion of goods going to the US at Nam Dinh Vu and Gemalink ports accounts for less than 10% and 20% respectively, helping to minimize risks. Instead, the company is promoting the development of routes to Europe, Canada, Brazil and the Intra-Asia region.

In April 2025 alone, Gemalink Port attracted four new service routes, while intra-Asia trade is accelerating thanks to the trend of shifting supply chains. Gemadept aims to consolidate its position in markets such as Japan, Korea, China and ASEAN.

To meet the growing demand, the company plans to put into operation phase 3 of Nam Dinh Vu port in the fourth quarter of this year, increasing the total capacity of the entire cluster to 2 million TEUs. In the South, phase 2 of Gemalink port is also being accelerated to increase the total capacity to 3 million TEUs.

Gemadept is also stepping up exchanges with customers and shipping lines, coordinating with authorities to promote early shipments, supporting affected businesses and closely following the progress of tax policy negotiations between Vietnam and the US.

Vietnamese businesses are demonstrating their initiative, flexibility and “dare to think, dare to do” spirit in the context of global trade fluctuations. The 90-day “silence” from the US’s decision to temporarily suspend reciprocal tariffs is not only a golden opportunity to boost production and exports, but also a valuable time to restructure strategies, expand markets and strengthen internal strength.

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/doanh-nhan/doanh-nghiep-tan-dung-khoang-lang-90-ngay-ung-pho-voi-muc-thue-cua-my/20250414031126013