Tariff war impact on Vietnam?

[Anchor]

Vietnam, which has seen significant trade surpluses with the United States like us, is on edge with concerns that it may become the next target in the tariff war.

If these concerns become a reality, our companies operating in Vietnam will inevitably face significant impacts.

This is reporter Jung Yoon-seop.

[Report]

Vietnam recorded a 7% economic growth rate last year, thanks to explosive exports to the United States.

The trade surplus with the U.S. alone reached $123.5 billion, making it the third largest after China and Mexico.

This is an increase of over 18% compared to a year ago.

This is why there are predictions that Vietnam could be the next target of the Trump-era tariff war.

Vietnam's stance is to lower tariffs on U.S. products and increase imports to seek a compromise.

They plan to purchase more Boeing aircraft and LNG natural gas. But the export-import structure, where they sell 1,000 won worth and buy back 100 won worth, makes it difficult to resolve the imbalance immediately.

[Vietnam VTV4 Broadcast: "He (Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh) also urged them to closely monitor global developments, especially emerging issues and policy adjustments by countries and major economies to respond with timely, flexible and effective policies."]

The problem lies with the South Korean companies that have operating in Vietnam.

Samsung Electronics accounts for 20% of Vietnam's total exports, and many South Korean companies contribute to exports to the U.S.

In particular, companies that import parts from China and export finished products are in a state of emergency.

[Ko Tae-yeon/President of the Korean Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam: "Companies that need to export to the U.S. are looking at this seriously. We need to assess the impact on each company as well...."]

However, the U.S. may view Vietnam as a base for producing low-cost goods instead of China, and trade negotiations could take place at an appropriate level.

So far, there has been no specific mention of Vietnam by President Trump.

Due to this uncertainty, anxiety is actually increasing.

This is Jung Yoon-seop reporting from Bangkok for KBS News.