To Lam in New York for US-Vietnam Business Deals

Vietnamese leader To Lam is traveling to New York for a business conference where US and Vietnamese corporations will sign agreements in various sectors, including energy, tech, aviation, and finance. These agreements are part of Vietnam's strategy to reassure Washington amid the threat of new tariffs on its export-reliant economy.

The commercial agreements, many of which are non-binding, have been months in the making. US energy firms Murphy Oil and Chevron are expected to announce deals with state-owned Petrovietnam, while ExxonMobil is slated to sign an agreement with Vietnam Refinery and Petrochemical Corporation.

In addition to energy deals, agreements involving aviation and tech companies will be announced. Vietjet, Vietnam's largest private airline, plans to lease up to 22 planes from four aviation leasing companies, including Boeing jets and Airbus A321neo. The airline also intends to sign memoranda of understanding with US jet engine maintenance firms.

The provisional list includes agreements between Meta and Vietnam's ministry of culture, as well as a deal between Qualcomm and VNPT, a Vietnamese telecom firm. Visa, Mastercard, and Citibank are also expected to announce agreements with financial and hospitality partners in Vietnam.