Vietnam has called on the United States to fully consider its recent efforts to combat forced labour after the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) imposed a new 12.5 per cent tariff on goods from economies subject to investigations under Section 301.
Responding to reporters on July 25, foreign ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said the USTR's decision did not fully reflect Vietnam's progress in preventing, reducing and eliminating forced labour, including its ban on imports of products made using forced labour.
Vietnam Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang (Photo: Foreign Ministry).
Hang said Vietnam prohibits all forms of forced labour and complies with the standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO), as well as its obligations under international treaties and free trade agreements to which the country is a party.
She noted that the government issued Decree No. 292/2026/ND-CP on July 22, introducing a ban on the import of goods that are wholly or partly extracted, produced or manufactured through forced labour.
"Vietnam will continue to engage with the United States in a constructive and cooperative spirit and urges the US side to fully assess the measures Vietnam has implemented when reviewing the tariff applied to Vietnamese goods, taking into account the country's legislative reforms and enforcement efforts," Hang said.