Hanoi ¨C France and Vietnam signed a deal on Monday for 20 Airbus planes, among other pacts, as French President Emmanuel Macron visited Hanoi with the aim of boosting his country¡¯s influence in its former colony, which is grappling with threats of crippling U.S. tariffs.
Macron¡¯s first formal visit to Vietnam, the first by a French president in nearly a decade, follows U.S. President Donald Trump¡¯s threats on Friday of 50% duties on European Union goods from June that sharply fueled tension with the 27-nation bloc.
Export-dependent Vietnam, under pressure from Washington to buy more American goods, has made pledges in trade talks to avert 46% tariffs that could impair its growth, fanning European concerns about deals at the region¡¯s expense.
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