Key Events
- Politburo Set to Grow as Party Prepares for 14th Congress;
- Vietnamese Businesses Brace for 20% U.S. Tariff;
- Hà Nội Seeks Further Talks to Complete U.S. Trade Negotiations;
- Hải Phòng Customs Corruption Trial Uncovers 1.8 Trillion Đồng Smuggling Scheme;
- Floods and Landslides in Northern Việt Nam Leave 16 Dead or Missing;
- Hồ Chí Minh City Launches “Borderless” Administrative Model to Streamline Public Services.
14th Party Congress to Feature Larger Politburo and Centralized Delegate Selection
On July 31, General Secretary Tô Lâm announced that the 14th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Việt Nam is expected to have between 17 and 19 members in its Politburo—an increase of one to three from the current 16.
The party will maintain its long-standing structure of 200 Central Committee members, including 180 full members and 20 alternates. The Politburo will consist of 17–19 members, while the Secretariat will have 11–13 members. Compared to previous terms, the upcoming term is expected to add more Central Committee seats for certain positions, regions, and key sectors—particularly within the military party organization—to reinforce the party’s leadership in these areas.
The 14th National Congress is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026. Party leadership has framed it as a “historic congress” aimed at creating a new era of prosperity, sustainable development, and improved living standards for the Vietnamese people.
On July 23, Tô Lâm signed Decision No. 341-QĐ/TW on the number and allocation of delegates for the congress. The decision sets the number of delegates at 1,588. In an unprecedented move since the Đổi Mới era, delegates from 23 newly merged provinces and cities will be appointed by central authorities instead of being elected through the usual process.
U.S. Officially Imposes 20% Reciprocal Tariff on Việt Nam
On Aug. 1, the White House published an executive order from President Donald Trump adjusting reciprocal tariffs for 69 countries and territories, reducing Việt Nam’s rate from 46% to 20%. According to Việt Nam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, the new rate is the outcome of multiple rounds of trade negotiations at both technical and ministerial levels between the two countries. Talks will continue to finalize a broader reciprocal trade agreement.
Trump had previously signaled the decision on July 2 via his Truth Social account, announcing that the reciprocal tariff for Việt Nam would be set at 20%.
However, Politico and Bloomberg report that Vietnamese leaders were surprised, disappointed, and angry over the unilateral announcement, as they had initially expected a maximum tariff of 11%.
The White House’s new tariff schedule imposes lower rates on several other countries, including Indonesia (19%), Thailand (19%), the Philippines (19%), Cambodia (19%), Malaysia (19%), South Korea (15%), Cameroon (15%), Costa Rica (15%), Angola (15%), Bolivia (15%), and Brazil (10%).
In response, many Vietnamese businesses say they are revising their business plans, viewing the change as both a challenge and an opportunity in the shifting trade landscape.
Việt Nam Seeks Further U.S. Talks to Seal Trade Agreement Amid New Tariffs
Việt Nam has confirmed it will continue negotiations with the United States to finalize a trade agreement following the implementation of new tariff measures by the U.S. government. An initial accord reached in July cut U.S. tariffs on Vietnamese imports to 20%, down from the previously proposed 46%, while setting a hefty 40% levy on goods suspected of being illegally transshipped via Việt Nam.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade, under Minister Nguyễn Hồng Diễn, has already submitted an adaptation proposal to Việt Nam’s prime minister and is preparing a detailed implementation plan that will be ready by the end of last week.
Meanwhile, Việt Nam recorded strong trade growth in July: exports increased by 16% year-on-year to $42.3 billion, with shipments to the U.S. climbing an impressive 26% to $14.2 billion. Total imports rose by 17.8% to $40 billion, driven in part by a 30.5% surge in imports from China.
Việt Nam’s push for continued negotiations highlights its urgency in securing trade stability and navigating the complex dynamics introduced by Washington’s tariff policy shifts.
14 Former Hải Phòng Customs Officials on Trial for Aiding 1.8 Trillion Đồng Smuggling Scheme
On Aug. 6, the People’s Court of Hải Phòng opened the first-instance trial of 22 defendants accused of smuggling, bribery, abuse of position and power, and fraud in connection with a large-scale smuggling operation involving Công ty TNHH Sản xuất Thương mại Quốc tế Tài Lộc (Tai Loc International Trading and Manufacturing Co.), the Hải Phòng Port Customs Sub-Department Area 2 (now Area 3), and related entities.
The trial, previously postponed twice—the most recent delay due to Typhoon No. 3—is expected to last three days. More than 30 lawyers have registered to defend the accused.
Among the defendants are 14 former customs officials charged with abusing their positions and accepting bribes. They include:
- Nguyễn Thị Thu Hiền, former head of Hải Phòng Port Customs Sub-Department Area 2
- Vũ Ngân Châu, former deputy head of the same unit
- Tô Thị Thu Hương, former deputy head of the customs procedures team
According to the indictment, between January 2021 and January 2024, the defendants facilitated the clearance of 13,376 containers of smuggled goods worth over 1.814 trillion đồng ($75.6 million), generating illicit profits of more than 210 billion đồng).
From July 2022 to January 2024, customs leaders and staff at Hải Phòng Port Customs Area 2 allegedly accepted bribes totaling more than 8.1 billion đồng to overlook violations committed by the Tài Lộc group.
From late July to early August 2025, days of torrential rain triggered flash floods and severe landslides across the northern provinces of Sơn La and Điện Biên, leaving heavy human and material losses.
In Điện Biên, as of August 3, the disaster had claimed 10 lives, left 7 people seriously injured, damaged 325 homes, and caused more than 450 landslides. The province estimates total property damage at approximately 500 billion đồng.
Sơn La also suffered devastating impacts over the past week, with floods and landslides affecting 10 communes in the districts of Sông Mã and the former Sốp Cộp. Six people were reported dead or missing, more than 850 homes were damaged or swept away, and hundreds of hectares of rice fields and crops were destroyed. Infrastructure including telecommunications systems, roads, and suspension bridges also sustained heavy damage.
On Aug. 2, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính issued a directive calling for urgent relief and recovery efforts in the affected provinces of Điện Biên, Sơn La, and Nghệ An. The government has allocated 250 billion đồng from the 2025 central budget contingency fund to support initial recovery: Điện Biên will receive 100 billion đồng, Sơn La 50 billion đồng, and Nghệ An 100 billion đồng.
Hồ Chí Minh City has begun implementing a “borderless” administrative model, allowing residents to process government paperwork at any public administrative center across the city, regardless of their place of residence. The initiative was announced on Aug. 4 by Nguyễn Văn Được, chairman of the Hồ Chí Minh City People’s Committee, during a meeting with local leaders from the former Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province.
The reform follows the city’s recent merger with Bình Dương and Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu provinces, which expanded Hồ Chí Minh City’s area to more than 6,700 square kilometers, with a population approaching 14 million. The enlarged city now encompasses 168 commune-level administrative units—113 wards, 54 communes, and the Côn Đảo Special Zone. Authorities say the new model aims to ease the travel burden for residents who previously had to return to their registered locality to complete administrative tasks.
In its initial phase, the “borderless” model is being rolled out in 38 wards. Civil servants from municipal departments have been assigned to these 38 commune-level public administrative centers to handle all eligible requests, regardless of the applicant’s residential address.
Earlier, the People’s Committee issued a list of more than 1,300 administrative procedures eligible for “borderless” processing in the first stage of implementation. These procedures cover a wide range of services, from civil status registration to business licensing, designed to be accessible anywhere within city limits.
Chairman Nguyễn Văn Được has instructed the Department of Science and Technology to prioritize the development of information technology infrastructure to support the new system. This follows on-site surveys by city leaders to assess how newly formed commune-level governments are operating post-merger. The surveys identified several challenges, particularly in the application of IT systems to administrative work.
City officials emphasize that the model’s success will depend on both technology readiness and inter-agency coordination. By enabling residents to choose the most convenient location to complete paperwork, Hồ Chí Minh City aims to reduce wait times, improve service quality, and make public administration more citizen-friendly in a vastly expanded urban area.
Quick Takes:
Australia Urged to Set Clear Human Rights Benchmarks for Vietnam
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Australia to demand concrete and measurable human rights benchmarks from Vietnam in advance of the 20th Australia–Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue, scheduled for August 12, 2025. In a recent submission, the organization emphasized that the annual dialogue has yet to ease Hanoi’s tightening grip on civil liberties. With over 170 individuals currently detained under stringent laws curbing free speech and peaceful activism, Vietnam continues to stifle independent groups, labor unions, the media, religious institutions, and other non-governmental organizations.
HRW Demands Release of Two Sick Activists
On Aug. 6, HRW called for the immediate release of two imprisoned Vietnamese activists: Cấn Thị Thêu, 63, and pro‑democracy campaigner Lê Đình Lượng, 59, who are now facing serious health challenges behind bars. Thêu was recently hospitalized for abdominal pain and fever, while Luong suffers from spinal degeneration and chronic stomach issues. Both have reportedly been denied adequate medical care in custody, with Luong staging a hunger strike in protest. HRW urged authorities to either free them or ensure they receive prompt, appropriate medical treatment, in line with international standards for prisoner welfare.
Ailing Poet Trần Đức Thạch, Nearly 73, Suffers Declining Health in 12-Year Prison Sentence
Trần Đức Thạch, 73, a poet and veteran, is battling severe health decline, including hypertension, gout, colitis, spiral and neural issues, and deteriorating eyesight. His wife, who visited him in July 2025 revealed that he was subsisting on porridge due to extreme pain. She said on social media that essential medications, including for cataracts and muscle spasms, remain inaccessible or unaffordable. His case highlights the enduring toll of prolonged imprisonment on dissident voices. Thạch was arrested on April 23, 2020 and sentenced to 12 years in prison under Article 109 for alleged anti-state activity stemming from his writings and activism.
On August 2, Việt Nam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs firmly rejected a June report by the U.S.-based National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia, calling it “distorted” and untrue. The National League claimed that Việt Nam’s efforts in assisting the U.S. in finding the MIAs and their belongings were not as outstanding as both governments have reported. In fact, the National League claimed that Việt Nam continued to keep many of the materials that should have been turned over to the U.S. Spokesperson Phạm Thu Hằng of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs further emphasized that 50 years of effective humanitarian cooperation between Việt Nam and the U.S. have helped identify and repatriate the remains of thousands of U.S. service members.
Vĩnh Long Driver Indicted in Fatal Accident That Sparked Tragic Retaliation
On Aug. 5, Vĩnh Long provincial police indicted Nguyễn Văn Bảo Trung for violating road traffic regulations in a Sept. 4, 2024 accident that killed a 14-year-old schoolgirl. The case had twice been closed without prosecution by the former Trà Ôn District Police (before the provinces were merged in Việt Nam). On April 28, 2025, the victim’s father, frustrated by the lack of charges, shot Trung with a homemade gun before taking his own life. Trung survived after emergency treatment and has since recovered from critical condition. The incident has reignited public debate over accountability, justice delays, and the emotional toll such cases take on the families of victims.