Vietnam and US start trade talks

HANOI, Apr 24 (AFP): Vietnam and the United States have started talks "on bilateral economic and trade issues" in the wake of threatened US tariffs, Hanoi said.

US President Donald Trump this month threatened massive 46 per cent levies on Vietnam, with Washington accusing the country of facilitating Chinese exports to the United States and allowing Beijing to get around tariffs.

Vietnam's minister of industry and trade Nguyen Hong Dien had a phone call late Wednesday with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the ministry said in a statement posted on its website after the meeting.

"This is an important meeting to discuss the issues of principles, scope and roadmap for negotiations," said the statement.

The United States was Vietnam's biggest export market in the first three months of the year.