How Vietnam Became a Target in Trump’s Trade War
The country’s rise as a manufacturing hub has made it a key player in global trade, and a major beneficiary of the “China+1” strategy.
Illustration: David Byrne
For countries across the globe that export goods to the world’s largest consumer market, President Donald Trump’s return to the White House has meant six months of frenzy and doubt. When it comes to his chaotic, global trade war, few have been hit harder than Vietnam.
The Southeast Asian nation is one of the most trade dependent, with exports making up close to 90% of GDP. Many in the country of 100 million people have been lifted out of poverty thanks to global demand for its products, much of which comes from America. But as Bloomberg Originals shows in this mini-documentary, that trading landscape is shifting fast, and Vietnam’s low-cost, skilled labor force may be who suffers most.