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Aircraft from Vietnam Airlines (right), VietJet Air (center), and Bamboo Airways (left) parked at Da Nang Airport. / Da Nang Correspondent Jeong Ri-na

The Vietnamese government has instructed its major airlines to review progress on multi‑billion‑dollar contracts with Boeing and Pratt & Whitney and propose ways to increase imports of U.S. products. The move is seen as an effort to secure leverage in trade negotiations as Washington intensifies pressure through three simultaneous investigations.

According to Reuters on June 10 (local time), Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction sent an official letter on June 5 to national carrier Vietnam Airlines, low‑cost carrier Vietjet Air, and new entrant Sun Phu Quoc Airways. The directive asked them to report on implementation and delivery schedules of contracts with U.S. partners and suggest measures to expand imports of advanced U.S. materials and equipment. The order followed a request from the Ministry of Industry and Trade to demonstrate to the U.S. that bilateral trade commitments are being honored.

The timing reflects the Trump administration’s ongoing probes into Vietnam’s trade practices. U.S. authorities are investigating allegations of overcapacity distorting trade structures, intellectual property violations, and the use of products made with forced labor.

The contracts under review include large aircraft and engine purchases. Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air jointly agreed to buy 250 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, while Sun Phu Quoc Airways, part of the Sun Group, signed a deal for 40 Boeing 787‑9 Dreamliners. Vietjet also has an engine supply contract with Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of RTX, for its Airbus fleet.

Vietnam’s strategy comes against the backdrop of a rapidly growing trade surplus with the U.S. In the first quarter of this year, America’s trade deficit with Vietnam reached $54.8 billion, the second largest after Taiwan, and larger than deficits with China or Mexico.

The Trump administration has repeatedly emphasized its determination to reduce trade deficits.

                                                                                                                Jung Ri‑na