Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh announced on Saturday the government's intention to expedite the licensing process for Elon Musk's Starlink to offer satellite internet services in the country as part of a pilot program.
During discussions with nearly 40 U.S. businesses in Hanoi, Chinh also mentioned Vietnam's efforts to address its trade surplus with the U.S. by considering imports of aircraft, arms, liquefied natural gas, agriculture goods, and pharmaceutical products.
To avoid U.S. tariffs on its increasing exports, Hanoi is exploring options to counterbalance trade relations, which led to reciprocal tariff threats by the U.S. president last year.
The government revealed that the Ministry of Science and Technology, following the Prime Minister's directive, would promptly grant a license to Starlink for trial internet services. This decision aligns with the parliament's recent approval of a temporary framework allowing satellite internet companies to operate in Vietnam under local control, as proposed by Musk.
The U.S. business community viewed the discussions positively, with hopes that they will address pending issues and foster favorable conditions for American companies in Vietnam.
Prime Minister Chinh is scheduled to hold separate meetings with other international companies in the near future, aiming to mitigate concerns arising from global trade uncertainties that could impact the country's export-driven economy.
To lessen the commercial surplus with the U.S., Vietnam is considering significant purchases of Boeing aircraft by its airlines. Notably, Vietnam Airlines inked a deal in 2023 during a visit by former U.S. President Joe Biden to procure 50 737 Max jets worth $11 billion, with ongoing negotiations to potentially lower the prices. Additionally, VietJet has a deal to purchase 200 Boeing 737 MAX jets, though deliveries are pending despite revised agreements since the original contract in 2016.
Efforts to negotiate military acquisitions like Lockheed Martin transport planes have also been recurrent in discussions between the Vietnamese government and officials, illustrating Vietnam's initiatives to address the trade imbalance with the U.S.