Vietnam turns to neighbours as Trump strikes blow to trade

Hanoi

AFTER years of relying on American consumers, Vietnam is turning to its Asian neighbours after US President Donald Trump dashed hopes for a Pacific trade deal that stood to benefit the export-reliant nation the most.

The end of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) "will push us to expand in other markets", Nguyen Duc Kien, deputy head of the National Assembly Economic Committee, said on Wednesday. "We have a lot of potential to increase exports" to markets in Asean and some "regional countries where we have bilateral trade agreements such as South Korea, Japan", he said.