U.S. trade chief Kirk to visit Vietnam

Kirk

   U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk will visit Vietnam on Sept. 2 -3 for meetings with senior Vietnamese government officials.
   Kirk’s trip is expected to help strengthen bilateral economic relations between the two countries.
   Since the United States and Vietnam re-established diplomatic ties 17 years ago, two-way trade between the countries has grown from less than $1 million to almost $22 billion last year. The United States is Vietnam’s largest export market and one of the largest investors in Vietnam.
   Kirk plans to discuss with Vietnamese officials joint goals for concluding the Trans-Pacific Partnership, ways to work together to advance common objectives in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and initiatives to support the integration efforts of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
   During his trip, he will also meet with business executives from the United States and Vietnam to discuss trade and investment issues.