By Vietnam’s dramatic export fraud crackdown follows months of behind-the-scenes pressure from Washington, with USTR documents revealing:
Key U.S. Demands
- 90-day deadline to reduce fraudulent shipments by 40%
- Threat to revoke Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) benefits
- Proposed 25% tariffs on Vietnamese electronics
- Criminal referrals for U.S. importers of suspect goods
The leaked “Action Plan 389/TC-BCT” shows Hanoi scrambling to avoid economic fallout:
Economic Stakes
- $7.3B in GSP benefits at risk
- 600,000 manufacturing jobs dependent on U.S. trade
- Potential 1.2% GDP impact if sanctions imposed
“Vietnam is finally taking this seriously because the Americans have drawn a red line,” said Le Hong Hiep, a Vietnam trade expert at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.