Trump’s Vietnam Tariffs Might Actually Help China
Trump’s new deal slaps a 20% tariff on Vietnamese imports — harsher than the current 10%, but better than the threatened 46%. It aims to stop China from bypassing U.S. tariffs via Vietnam. But there’s a catch.
China isn’t just trans-shipping goods. It’s using origin washing — sending raw materials to Vietnam, turning them into finished products (like clothes or electronics), and exporting them as “Made in Vietnam.” That dodges China-specific tariffs entirely.
Firms like BYD already shifted production to Vietnam years ago, anticipating this exact outcome. So while Trump’s deal looks tough on paper, China’s been preparing for it — and is already playing by the new rules.
