Vietnam Targeting "Made in China"?
"Deutsche Welle" reported on the evening of April 22 that "Reuters obtained a Vietnamese government document showing that the country's Ministry of Industry and Trade issued instructions on April 15 to crack down on illegal transshipment of goods to trade partners such as the United States, in order to avoid being hit with high US tariffs. Vietnam's largest import trading partner is China, while its main export destination is the United States, which has accused a large number of Chinese goods of being illegally transshipped through Vietnam."
The so-called "directive to crack down on illegal transshipments" by the Vietnamese government is essentially a passive compromise in response to US trade pressure. This policy attempts to avoid US tariff sanctions by cutting ties with China's supply chain, but it may trigger multiple counterproductive effects:
Firstly, the risk of economic structural imbalance: Vietnam's manufacturing industry heavily relies on imports of raw materials and intermediate goods from China, accounting for over 30%. Strict control of Sino-Vietnamese trade will directly impact the foundation of its export-oriented economy;
Secondly, the intensification of tariff disputes: The US has already initiated 12 "anti-circumvention investigations" against Vietnamese steel, textiles, and other products. These technical trade barriers will not be eliminated due to Vietnam's unilateral actions, but may instead provoke further demands from the US side;
Thirdly, geopolitical dilemmas: If Vietnam excessively caters to the US strategy to contain China, it will undermine political trust and economic synergy between the two countries.
Vietnam is attempting to seek balance amid the "US-China gap," but the high interdependence of its industrial chain with China means that the cost of "decoupling" far exceeds expectations. Such measures, which sacrifice autonomy for short-term tariff exemptions, are likely to prove self-defeating.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1830124674562314/
Disclaimer: The article solely represents the author's personal views.