Businesses respond flexibly to reciprocal tariffs from the United States

Dong Nai - the largest industrial center in the Southeast region is the "headquarters" of many enterprises exporting to the US market. Photo: Cong Nghia

In Dong Nai, one of the country's major industrial centers, provincial leaders are working closely with businesses to proactively adapt to the new context, diversify markets, and improve product quality to overcome challenges together.

Flexible adaptation

Tinh Nguyen Hao Company Limited (Phuoc Tan Ward) specializes in precision mechanical processing, automatic machine design and manufacturing, and other fields in the supporting industry. Although the company's goods exported to the US market only account for 5% of total export orders, the US's imposition of a 20% reciprocal tax will also be a big challenge. However, experience from dealing with technical barriers and anti-dumping policies in the past, combined with proactive market restructuring, good quality control, and ensuring transparent origin, are the basis for the company to confidently overcome difficulties.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hung, Director of Tinh Nguyen Hao Company Limited, said: "To cope with the above unfavorable scenario, our company has quickly come up with many solutions, the most important of which is practicing thrift, maximizing traditional markets, strengthening connections, and searching for new markets."

The initiative of enterprises is also demonstrated through their active participation in trade promotion activities organized by localities. In recent times, the Department of Industry and Trade has actively coordinated with international trade promotion organizations, organized seminars, connected supply and demand, and sought alternative markets in Europe, East Asia, and the Middle East.

“Expanding and diversifying export markets is a vital factor in the current period. Therefore, Dong Nai is supporting businesses to access new markets through international e-commerce platforms, online fairs and economic diplomacy . The negotiation process between partners through trade promotion programs is very high, especially the content related to contracts and product quality. Partners have had the opportunity to discuss in depth with each other about the cooperation program. Businesses are very excited about this connection solution” - Mr. Nguyen Van Linh, Deputy Director of the Center for Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion of Dong Nai province, shared.

Turn challenges into opportunities

The United States is currently the second largest trading partner, the number 1 export surplus market and an important export market of Vietnam. In the complex context of intertwined trends of trade liberalization, protectionism and increasing technical barriers and trade barriers of major markets, the business community of Dong Nai is proactively grasping the situation, assessing the impact and building flexible response scenarios. Provincial leaders are also resolutely accompanying businesses with a series of policies such as: establishing a working group to support private enterprises, operating as a "One-stop switchboard" to remove obstacles; enhancing dialogue, listening to the opinions of businesses to participate in building institutions, mechanisms and support policies. Notably, in Dong Nai, the province's investment development fund has also allocated 2 trillion VND to support private enterprises...

“The difficulties from the US reciprocal tax imposition are also an opportunity for Dong Nai businessmen and enterprises to proactively restructure the economy and enterprises to create more positive changes in the long term. We have also directed relevant parties from enterprises, banks to state management agencies to have more specific policies and solutions in responding to the reciprocal tax scenario from the US,” said Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Vo Tan Duc.

In the first 6 months of 2025, two-way trade between Vietnam and the United States reached about 87 billion USD. Dong Nai contributed an estimated export turnover of goods to the US market of nearly 4.68 billion USD, accounting for 35.5% of the province's total export turnover of goods. Although Dong Nai's goods exported to the US only account for a small market share, the Donald Trump administration's imposition of a 20% reciprocal tax will also be a big challenge for local businesses.

Currently, Dong Nai still has many other billion-dollar export markets such as Japan, China, and South Korea. “We will continue to support businesses to maintain and renegotiate orders; promote the exploitation of alternative markets, especially markets that have signed trade agreements with Vietnam (FTA) ... to reduce dependence on one export market” - Mr. Pham Van Cuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, said.

It can be said that the US imposition of reciprocal tariffs is a big challenge, but at the same time, it is also an opportunity for Vietnamese enterprises in general and Dong Nai province in particular to look back and improve themselves. For Dong Nai enterprises, it is necessary to flexibly implement measures to encourage investment, diversify export markets, exploit the domestic market and improve the business environment to not only help reduce the negative impact of US tax policies but also create favorable conditions for restructuring the economy towards enhancing internal strength and sustainable growth.

Hung Cat

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/kinh-te/202508/doanh-nghiep-ung-pho-linh-hoat-voi-muc-thue-doi-ung-tu-hoa-ky-be53300/