Key facts
- The Trump administration set a November 29 deadline to conclude a trade probe into Vietnam's alleged intellectual property violations.
- Tesla asked the US Trade Representative to consider supply chain needs of American manufacturers, in comments sent on July 2.
- Samsung's US unit said Vietnam produces a significant share of its smartphones and network equipment for the US market.
- Vietnam's exports to the US rose 42% in the first eight months of the year from the same period in 2025.
- The US levies a general 12.5% tariff on Vietnamese goods, imposed in July after a forced labor investigation.
Tesla and Samsung are among the businesses opposing new US tariffs on Vietnamese goods, according to submissions to the US government reported by Reuters, as Washington approaches a November 29 deadline to conclude a trade probe launched in May over alleged intellectual property violations.
The Trump administration designated Vietnam a "priority foreign country", the first jurisdiction in 13 years added to the most serious US watchlist category. The US has accused Vietnam of "a persistent failure to resolve long-standing concerns about IP protection and enforcement." A separate probe into alleged excessive capacity is also underway, and Vietnam has urged Washington to conduct its investigations objectively.
It is not clear whether any tariffs linked to IP violations would be general or sector specific. The US currently levies a general 12.5% tariff on Vietnamese goods, imposed in July after an investigation into alleged failures to prevent imports of goods made with forced labor. Vietnam, long accused of being a transit hub for Chinese goods, faced 20% tariffs after Trump's "Liberation Day", which were struck down by the Supreme Court. Many economists have said the administration aims to reimpose at least the same level of tariffs the court abolished.
Tesla urged the US Trade Representative to "take into account the supply chain needs of American manufacturers", saying in comments sent on July 2 that some advanced components and precision manufacturing equipment cannot be sourced domestically despite major investments in US production. Samsung's US unit made a similar argument, noting Vietnam produces a significant share of Samsung's smartphones and network equipment for the US market. The South Korean company is Vietnam's largest foreign investor, having invested about $25 billion there.
Retail groups and trade associations representing footwear, apparel and makers of consumer goods such as bikes or video game consoles also opposed additional tariffs. Industry groups representing US producers of steel, seafood, plywood, solar panels and wood products accused Vietnam of unfair practices and called for new tariffs. Copyright holders including software, film and music groups urged Washington to secure concrete commitments from Vietnam to combat piracy.
The Business Software Alliance, whose members include Microsoft, Oracle and IBM, said about three-quarters of software installed on personal computers in Vietnam was unlicensed, citing a 2017 survey, and criticised what it described as "inadequate enforcement". The Motion Picture Association said Vietnam was a major hub for online piracy, hosting websites distributing stolen film and television content that attracted over 12.5 billion visits worldwide last year, and called for stronger enforcement and improved market access for legitimate streaming services.