Vietnam escalated a charm offensive with the United States on Friday as it announced provisional deals for the import of U.S. energy products and a possible cut in duties on U.S. goods, as it tries to avoid tariffs from the Trump administration.

Vietnamese and Americans firms have signed a series of deals on energy and minerals during a visit to the United States by Vietnam's trade minister.

There is increasing worry in Hanoi that Vietnam could be the next target of Donald Trump’s tariffs, which have sent shockwaves through global markets.

Vietnamese and US companies have signed more than US$4 billion in deals, a petrochemical giant said yesterday, as anxiety mounts in Hanoi over potential tariffs under the administration of US President Donald Trump.