Vietnam has announced it is lowering tariffs on imports from the United States. Vietnam is one of the countries with a trade surplus with the US, and fears what might come of President Donald Trump's tariff offensive next week.



Hanoi said on Tuesday it is making arrangements to partially lower tariffs on US imports, including food, energy and automobiles. The country's finance ministry says this will improve the trade balance with partners.



Trump has stressed he will impose reciprocal levies on April 2. These will target countries with high tariffs or barriers against US goods.



Vietnam's trade surplus with the US is the third largest, after China's and Mexico's. The US is Vietnam's biggest export destination, with almost 30 percent of exports going there, making it a major driver of the country's economy.