Tesla and Samsung have told the United States government they oppose new tariffs on Vietnam, setting up a split in American business as Washington prepares to conclude a trade investigation later this month.
The Trump administration set 29 November as the deadline to finish a probe launched in May into Vietnam’s alleged intellectual property violations. Vietnam has been designated a “priority foreign country”, the first jurisdiction in 13 years to be placed in the most serious category of the US watchlist. Washington has accused Hanoi of a persistent failure to resolve long-standing concerns about intellectual property protection and enforcement, while Vietnam has urged the investigations to be conducted objectively.
Tesla, in comments sent to the US Trade Representative on 2 July, urged officials to take into account the supply chain needs of American manufacturers. The electric car maker said some advanced components and precision manufacturing equipment cannot be sourced domestically, despite major investment in US production.
Samsung’s US unit made a similar argument, noting that Vietnam produces a significant share of the smartphones and network equipment it sells in the US market. The South Korean company is Vietnam’s largest foreign investor, having invested about $25 billion in the country.
Retail groups and trade associations representing industries with extensive manufacturing in Vietnam, including footwear, apparel and makers of consumer goods such as bicycles and video game consoles, also opposed additional tariffs.
Other groups, however, called for penalties. Industry associations representing US producers of steel, seafood, plywood, solar panels and wood products accused Vietnam of unfair practices. Copyright holders, including software, film and music groups, urged Washington to secure concrete commitments from Vietnam to combat piracy. The Business Software Alliance, whose members include Microsoft, Oracle and IBM, said about three-quarters of software installed on personal computers in Vietnam was unlicensed, citing a 2017 survey, and criticised what it called inadequate enforcement despite repeated commitments.
It is not yet clear whether any tariffs linked to intellectual property violations would be general or sector-specific. The US currently levies a general 12.5% tariff on Vietnamese goods, imposed in July after an investigation into alleged failures to prevent imports of goods made with forced labour. Vietnam had earlier faced 20% tariffs after the “Liberation Day” announcement, which were struck down by the Supreme Court. Many economists have said the administration’s objective is to reimpose at least the same level of tariffs the court abolished.
The stakes are considerable. Vietnam’s exports to the US surged 42% in the first eight months of this year compared with the same period in 2025, making it the US trading partner with the largest goods surplus, ahead of China and Mexico. At the end of 2025 it ranked fourth. A separate US probe into alleged excessive capacity in Vietnam is also under way.
Sources: Reuters, “Tesla, Samsung oppose new US tariffs on Vietnam as probe deadline nears”, https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/tesla-samsung-oppose-new-us-tariffs-vietnam-probe-deadline-nears-2026-11-02/
