Key facts
- The USTR moved the probe's conclusion deadline to February 28, 2027, from the end of November 2026.
- The USTR said the investigation involves complex issues that require additional time.
- Vietnam is the first jurisdiction in 13 years added to the priority foreign country category for IP violations.
- Vietnam faces 12.5% general duties on US exports after a forced labor determination, with a separate excessive capacity probe underway.
- Tesla and Samsung are among multinationals that have opposed new tariffs on Vietnam, per USTR submissions.
The Office of the US Trade Representative said on November 10, 2026 that it extended a trade probe into Vietnam's intellectual property protections by three months, moving the deadline for concluding the investigation to February 28, 2027. The probe had been scheduled to finish at the end of November 2026.
The investigation was launched in May 2026 to examine what the USTR described as Vietnam's alleged "persistent failure to resolve long-standing concerns about IP protection and enforcement." In its statement, the USTR said the extension was needed because "the investigation involves complex or complicated issues that require additional time." A concluded probe could lead to new tariffs on Vietnamese goods, and Vietnam is a major source of US imports.
The US has designated Vietnam a "priority foreign country" for IP violations, the first jurisdiction in 13 years added to the most serious US watchlist category. Vietnam's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Vietnam currently faces 12.5% general duties on its exports to the United States after the USTR determined the country did not do enough to prevent use of imported goods made with forced labor. A separate investigation into alleged excessive capacity is also underway. The two countries have been negotiating a trade deal for more than a year, and Vietnamese officials have expressed confidence in an agreement in recent weeks.
Vietnam, long accused of being a transit hub for Chinese goods, faced 20% tariffs after Trump's "Liberation Day" last year, which were struck down by the Supreme Court. Washington imposed the current 12.5% tariffs in July.
Multinationals including Tesla and Samsung have opposed new tariffs on Vietnam, an important assembly hub for industrial products exported to foreign markets, and makers of footwear, apparel and consumer goods also warned against new duties. US producers of steel, seafood, plywood, solar panels and wood products have accused Vietnam of unfair practices and called for new tariffs, according to submissions to the USTR.