Knapper was an advocate for closer ties with Vietnam and frequently expressed optimism about the outcome of trade talks with Hanoi. The latest seasonally adjusted US data shows Vietnam's January to October trade surplus in goods reached US$144.2 billion, already surpassing its full-year 2024 record. Crucially, Vietnam's goods trade surplus was higher than China's in the second and third quarters of 2025, the latest available US data shows. China's trade surplus with the US still remains higher than Vietnam's for the full January-October period. Meanwhile, China's exports to Vietnam boomed last year, Vietnamese data show.

Source: The Edge Markets January 13, 2026 08:18 UTC