Businesses have taken opposing positions on whether the United States should impose additional tariffs on Vietnamese goods as Washington’s trade investigation approaches its November 29 deadline. Tesla and Samsung are among those urging the administration to consider the impact on supply chains, while several US industry groups are calling for penalties.
The investigation, launched in May, concerns alleged intellectual property violations in Vietnam. The Trump administration has classified Vietnam as a “priority foreign country,” placing it in the most serious US watchlist category for the first time in 13 years. Washington has accused Hanoi of failing to resolve long-standing concerns over intellectual property protection and enforcement. A separate investigation into alleged excessive capacity is also underway.
It remains unclear whether any tariffs linked to intellectual property issues would apply broadly or target specific sectors. The US currently imposes a general 12.5% tariff on Vietnamese goods, introduced in July following an investigation into alleged failures to prevent imports made with forced labour.
Tesla told the US Trade Representative that officials should account for the supply-chain requirements of American manufacturers. The electric-car maker said some advanced components and precision manufacturing equipment remain unavailable domestically despite substantial investment in US production.
Samsung’s US unit made a similar case, pointing to Vietnam’s significant role in producing smartphones and network equipment for the American market. Samsung, South Korea’s largest foreign investor in Vietnam, has invested about $25 billion in the country.
Retail groups and trade associations representing footwear, apparel and consumer-goods manufacturers, including bicycle and video-game-console producers, also opposed further tariffs. Vietnam’s exports to the US rose 42% during the first eight months of the year compared with the same period in 2025, giving it the largest goods-trade surplus with the US among its trading partners, ahead of China and Mexico.
Other groups are seeking tougher action. Associations representing US steel, seafood, plywood, solar-panel and wood-product producers accused Vietnam of unfair practices and supported new tariffs. Copyright-holder groups in the software, film and music industries likewise urged Washington to obtain concrete commitments to tackle piracy.
The Business Software Alliance, whose members include Microsoft, Oracle and IBM, said a 2017 survey found that roughly three-quarters of software installed on Vietnamese personal computers was unlicensed. The Motion Picture Association described Vietnam as a major online-piracy hub and said websites distributing unauthorised film and television content attracted more than 12.5 billion visits worldwide last year.
Sources: Investing.com News.