Analysts say a deal with Washington on tariffs could unlock Vietnam's 'key player' potential in Southeast Asia's digital value chain Heavy tariffs imposed by the United States on Vietnamese goods threaten to hold back Hanoi's digital economy ambitions,

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh even joked in January that he would play golf at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home if it could benefit his country’s economy. However, the new tariffs are threatening to derail Vietnam’s growth and tarnish its relationship with Washington.

The leaders of Vietnam and Spain on Wednesday pledged to boost economic ties and defence cooperation and voiced their support for upholding free trade, at a time when both are hit with the Trump administration's reciprocal tariffs.