(VOVWORLD) - US-Vietnam trade and investment creates thousands of jobs in the US and has made Vietnam one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia, the US Department of State said on the 25th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.
The Department said two-way trade exceeded 77 billion USD last year.
According to the US Department of Commerce, US exports of goods and services to Vietnam generated 54,000 jobs in the US. Vietnam is currently the US’s 17th largest trading partner.
As of the end of 2019, total registered investment capital by US firms in Vietnam had exceeded 11 billion USD, making the US 11th among the countries and territories invested in Vietnam.
Vietnam-US relations are special, said Dr. Vu Hong Lam, an expert at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in the US. He said Vietnam has been considered one of the most important US partners in the region, both in former US President Barack Obama’s rebalance strategy and in President Donald Trump’s free and open Indo-Pacific strategy. Joint activities have deepened mutual understanding and trust between the two countries.