Mexico, Japan, Vietnam weigh response to Trump’s new trade measures

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has said that high tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump have opened the door to a strategic trade agreement between Vietnam and the United States. 

Hanoi has pledged to purchase more American weapons and equipment, Caliber.Az reports, citing Western media.

The Vietnamese government committed to increasing imports of U.S. goods, particularly defense and security products, and also requested a 45-day delay in the implementation of the new tariffs.

Additionally, Vietnam will push for the accelerated delivery of commercial aircraft ordered by Vietnamese airlines from the United States.

Chinh stated that Vietnam asked the U.S. to postpone the introduction of the 46% tariffs—announced by Trump last week—in order to allow time for negotiations.

"Vietnam is seeking to negotiate with the American side for balanced and sustainable trade in line with the interests of both parties," the prime minister said in his statement.

Meanwhile, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that retaliatory measures against the United States in response to Washington's tariffs cannot be ruled out, although Mexico would prefer to avoid such steps.

"What we want most is to avoid the imposition of retaliatory tariffs. We are not ruling them out, but we would prefer to resolve this issue through negotiations," Sheinbaum was quoted as saying by Western media.

She added that Mexico’s Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard would discuss the situation with U.S. officials during meetings in Washington.

For its part, Japan is not planning to take any retaliatory measures in response to U.S. tariffs for the time being and is focused on resolving the issue through persistent negotiations, said Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. 

In this context, Prime Minister Ishiba held the first meeting of a joint task force at his Tokyo residence to develop measures in response to the increased U.S. trade tariffs. He also appointed Minister for Economic Revitalization Ryosei Akazawa as the government's special representative for negotiations with Washington.

During the meeting—which included all cabinet members—the Prime Minister stressed that Japan would pursue a diplomatic path to seek a revision of the higher tariffs imposed by Washington on all Japanese export goods.

The day before, April 7, the Japanese Prime Minister had a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, during which he tried to convince him of the need to cancel the increased tariffs. Ishiba specifically pointed out that Japan is the largest source of direct investment in the United States. The two sides did not reach an agreement but agreed to appoint special representatives to continue negotiations.

​On April 2, President Donald Trump introduced a series of "reciprocal tariffs" aimed at addressing perceived trade imbalances between the United States and its trading partners. These tariffs include a baseline 10% duty on all imports, with higher rates for specific countries based on factors such as existing tariffs, trade deficits, and other trade barriers. ​

The tariffs are derived from bilateral trade deficits rather than matching foreign tariffs directly, leading to higher U.S. tariffs on countries like Vietnam and Taiwan compared to what these nations levy on American goods. ​

Vietnam, a growing economic powerhouse in Southeast Asia, became one of the primary targets of Trump's tariff policies due to its booming manufacturing sector, particularly in electronics and textiles. On April 2, 2025, the U.S. imposed a 46% tariff on Vietnamese exports, sharply escalating tensions between the two nations.

By Khagan Isayev