Why Vietnam's new leader is worried
Hosts: Ethan Wu and Mike Bird. Guests: David Dapice, emeritus professor of economics at Tufts University; and Nguyễn Khắc Giang, a visiting fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.
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Reuters
4 days ago
- Reuters
Vietnam plans new penalties for illegal transshipments after Trump deal, documents show
July 10 (Reuters) - Vietnam is preparing stricter penalties to crack down on trade fraud and the illegal transshipment of goods, and has focused its inspections on Chinese products as it tries to comply with commitments made to Washington, documents seen by Reuters show. Last week, the Communist-ruled country struck a preliminary deal with U.S. President Donald Trump's administration that cuts planned U.S. tariffs on imports from Vietnam to 20% from the 46% level threatened in April. But goods that Washington deems to be illegally transshipped through Vietnam will be subject to a 40% levy. The new measures, which expand a crackdown in recent weeks on trade fraud and imported counterfeits, will be key to keeping on Trump's good side. U.S. officials have repeatedly accused Vietnam of being used as a waypoint for Chinese goods destined for the United States. They allege some goods have "Made in Vietnam" labels despite having received no or little added value in the country - allowing Chinese exporters to take advantage of Vietnam's lower tariffs and avoid high U.S. duties on goods from China. The Vietnamese government will issue a new decree that will "prescribe additional levels of sanctions for fraud of origin," and introduce stricter measures and checks to prevent fraud, according to a July 3 trade ministry document. July 3 was the same day that Trump and Vietnam's top leader To Lam reached their agreement, making the Southeast Asian nation the only other country after Britain so far to reach a preliminary deal on tariffs. Vietnamese authorities have been told to intensify inspections on exports to the United States, according to the document which said inspections have focused recently on products "at risk of trade fraud... or Chinese items that are subject to trade defence measures by the European Union and the United States". The document cited wooden furniture, plywood, steel machine parts, bicycles, batteries, wireless headphones and other electronic products as examples. It listed examples of fraud such as the use of fake papers to obtain certification of origin documents, forged certificates of origin of goods and the import of counterfeit products into Vietnam. It added that trade fraud had increased in recent times and was focused on avoiding tariffs and trade defence measures. Vietnam's trade ministry and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative did not reply to Reuters requests for comment. There remains much to be worked out in the U.S.-Vietnam tariff deal. It is not yet clear how Washington will define an illegal transshipment and how much value Vietnam must add to imported products to avoid the 40% tariff. Sources have said that the U.S. is pushing Vietnam to reduce its reliance on imported components from China, especially for electronic devices. It is also not clear when the deal is likely to be finalised. Vietnam's government decree will introduce stricter procedures to monitor companies that self-certify the origin of the products they trade, increase scrutiny of traded goods with more on-site inspections and increase scrutiny of the issue of certificates of origin, according to an undated draft seen by Reuters. The draft decree does not currently list penalties, which are expected to be added in revisions or in other legal texts, said a person familiar with the process. The person was not authorised to speak on the matter and declined to be identified. Vietnam has nearly tripled its exports to the United States since the start of the U.S.-China trade war in 2018, when the first Trump administration imposed wide-ranging tariffs on Beijing, pushing some manufacturers to move production south. But as exports to the U.S. boomed, Vietnam vastly expanded imports from China, with their inflow almost exactly matching the value and swings of exports to the United States over the years, each totalling around $140 billion in 2024, data from the U.S. and Vietnam show.
The Independent
07-07-2025
- The Independent
Trump taken to court over deportations of pro-Palestinian student protesters
Groups representing U.S. university professors seeking to protect international students and faculty who engage in pro-Palestinian advocacy from being deported after taking the Trump administration to court. A two-week non-jury trial scheduled to kick off on Monday in Boston marks a rarity in the hundreds of lawsuits that have been filed nationally challenging President Donald Trump 's hardline immigration agenda to carry out mass deportations, slash spending and reshape the federal government. In many of those cases, judges have issued quick rulings early on in the proceedings without any witnesses being called to testify. But U.S. District Judge William Young in keeping with his long-standing practice instead ordered a trial in the professors' case, saying it was the "best way to get at truth." The lawsuit was filed in March after immigration authorities arrested recent Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil, the first target of Trump's effort to deport non-citizen students with pro-Palestinian or anti-Israel views. Since then, the administration has canceled the visas of hundreds of other students and scholars and ordered the arrest of some, including Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University student who was taken into custody by masked and plainclothes agents after co-writing an opinion piece criticizing her school's response to Israel's war in Gaza. In their cases and others, judges have ordered the release of students detained by immigration authorities after they argued the administration retaliated against them for their pro-Palestinian advocacy in violation of the free speech guarantees of the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment. Their arrests form the basis of the case before Young, which was filed by the American Association of University Professors and its chapters at Harvard, Rutgers and New York University, and the Middle East Studies Association. They allege the State Department and Department of Homeland Security adopted a policy of revoking visas for non-citizen students and faculty who engaged in pro-Palestinian advocacy and arresting, detaining and deporting them as well. That policy, they say, was adopted after Trump signed executive orders in January directing the agencies to protect Americans from non-citizens who 'espouse hateful ideology' and to "vigorously" combat anti-Semitism. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in late March said he had revoked more than 300 visas and warned that the Trump administration was looking every day for "these lunatics." The goal, the plaintiffs say, has been to suppress the types of protests that have roiled college campuses after Israel launched its war in Gaza following the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023. Trump administration officials have frequently spoken about the efforts to target student protesters for visa revocations. Yet in court, the administration has defended itself by arguing the plaintiffs are challenging a deportation policy that does not exist and cannot point to any statute, rule, regulation or directive codifying it. "We don't deport people based on ideology," Homeland Security Department spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem "has made it clear that anyone who thinks they can come to America and hide behind the First Amendment to advocate for anti-American and anti-Semitic violence and terrorism - think again. You are not welcome here," McLaughlin said. The trial will determine whether the administration has violated the plaintiffs' First Amendment free speech rights. If Young concludes it has, he will determine a remedy in a second phase of the case. Young has described the lawsuit as "an important free speech case" and said that as alleged in the plaintiff's complaint, "it is hard to imagine a policy more focused on intimidating its targets from practicing protected political speech." The case is the second Trump-era legal challenge so far that has gone to trial before Young, an 84-year-old appointee of Republican President Ronald Reagan. While other Trump-era cases have been resolved through motions and arguments in court, the veteran jurist has long espoused the value of trials and in a recent order lamented the "virtual abandonment by the federal judiciary of any sense that its fact-finding processes are exceptional. Young last month after another non-jury trial delivered civil rights advocates and Democratic-led states a win by ordering the reinstatement of hundreds of National Institutes of Health research grants that were unlawfully terminated because of their perceived promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Time Out
07-07-2025
- Time Out
Great news: Scoot now flies to Vietnam's Da Nang, Nha Trang and Malaysia's Kota Bharu
Looking for somewhere new to go? Here are three destinations to put on your radar (if they weren't already). Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, just announced that it's adding three new spots to its Southeast Asia network: Da Nang and Nha Trang in Vietnam, and Kota Bharu in Malaysia. It's about time for Da Nang and Nha Trang if you ask us. These two Vietnamese coastal gems may not get the same spotlight as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, but they're up-and-coming destinations in their own right. These summer favourites have stunning beaches and well-developed nightlife scenes (be it night markets or beachside bars), and Da Nang in particular is the perfect gateway to gorgeous landscapes and cultural attractions like Ba Na Hills, Golden Bridge, the UNESCO World Heritage Site My Son Sanctuary, and ancient towns Hoi An and Hue. Malaysia's Kota Bharu flies comparatively under-the-radar, but is a good option if you're a cultural buff. As the state capital and royal seat of Kelantan, it's the hub of Malaysian traditional arts and crafts – think traditional drums, silat dance, and shadow puppetry. In a sign that demand is hot, Scoot is looking to ramp up flights to these locations progressively until the end of the year. Here's the expected schedule and one-way ticket prices: Da Nang: Three times weekly from October 20; progressively increased to daily flights by December 2025; from 115 SGD Nha Trang: Two times weekly from November 21; progressively increased to five times weekly flights by January 2026; from 135 SGD Kota Bharu: Two times weekly flights from October 26; from 78 SGD More routes to launch at year-end Towards the end of the year, you can hop on a Scoot flight to more destinations like Okinawa, Japan, and Medan and Labuan Bajo in Indonesia. Fantastic news for those who bemoaned the loss of the Okinawa and Labuan Bajo routes previously offered by Jetstar Asia, which recently announced its closure. Scoot will also boost flight frequency on a number of existing routes. Destinations that will soon get more flights: From July 2025: Jakarta, Indonesia; Sydney, Australia From August 2025: Clark, Philippines; Perth, Australia From September 2025: Davao and Manila, Philippines; Hat Yai, Thailand Don't miss upcoming promotional fares Heads-up: a limited-time sale to selected destinations is happening from July 8 to 13. The promotional fares will be on offer on Scoot's website and mobile application. This is on top of a sales launch for the new destinations. To get alerts about the fare, follow Scoot on social media or subscribe to its newsletter.
