The United States announced it had reached a trade deal with Vietnam on Wednesday, which will see Washington impose a 20 per cent tariff on Vietnamese goods. Businesses in Vietnam's vast export sector initially reacted with relief to the news,

At the heart of Trump’s latest trade deal with Vietnam and talks with other trading partners is an effort to counter what he sees as China’s unfair practices to circumvent U.S. tariffs.

Asia stock markets saw muted performance on Thursday as market participants assessed a confluence of factors, which included the upcoming resolution of U.S. trade agreements, with a deadline set for July 9,