The US has launched a third trade investigation into Vietnam’s handling of intellectual property rights, as the Trump administration turns up the pressure on the export-reliant nation. The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced on May 29 the probe will look into Vietnam’s acts and policies surrounding IP protection and enforcement and “assess their impact on US commerce”. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer plans to consult with US President Donald Trump if “responsive action” is needed, a process that could take months. The
investigation, which is being carried out under Section 301 of the Trade Act, opens the door to new tariffs on Vietnamese goods. “We need to see Vietnam resolve these long-standing concerns, including on a range of IP enforcement issues, in a manner that is sustained and that deters future IP infringements,” Mr Greer said in a statement. Vietnam was identified as a “priority foreign country” in a late April report, marking the first time in 13 years that a nation has been placed in that
category. The designation is reserved for countries with the most egregious IP-related acts. The US has launched a raft of trade inquiries as Mr Trump looks to rebuild his tariff wall that was toppled when the Supreme Court earlier in 2026 overturned his previous global tariffs. The South-east Asian nation is already the subject of two separate Section 301 probes into alleged excess manufacturing capacity and forced labour. The investigations, which could provide the legal basis for the US president to unilaterally impose tariffs on
imports from countries deemed to engage in unfair trade practices, are expected to conclude in July. Vietnam’s Prime Minister Le Minh Hung said the country is committed to combating intellectual property violations after meeting the Deputy US Trade Representative Rick Switzer in Hanoi earlier in May. The government ordered a month-long crackdown on piracy websites, counterfeit goods and trademark infringements shortly after the USTR report was released, targeting a 20 per cent increase in enforcement cases from the previous May. Vietnam was initially hit with
a steep 46 per cent tariff in April 2025, later reduced to 20 per cent, but despite months of negotiations the two sides have yet to reach a final trade deal, leaving uncertainty hanging over one of America’s largest trading partners. The talks have stalled over issues including trans-shipment, market access and Vietnam’s large trade surplus with the US, which has only continued to grow as manufacturers shift production to the country amid broader supply-chain realignments. The trade gap widened sharply to US$178.2 billion (S$227.5
billion) in 2025, an increase of around US$54.7 billion from 2024. In March, Vietnam posted the second-largest trade deficit with the US after Taiwan, ahead of China and Mexico. BLOOMBERG
United States, Vietnam, USTR, Section 301, intellectual property, trade probe, tariffs, Jamieson Greer, Donald Trump, Le Minh Hung, Rick Switzer, piracy websites, counterfeit goods, trademark infringements