Vietnam, US Firms to Ink Dozens of Deals as To Lam Visits New York

Vietnamese and US corporations are expected to announce a series of commercial agreements next week during a visit by Vietnam's leader To Lam to New York, covering energy, technology, aviation and financial services.

An internal planning note lists 29 agreements that could be unveiled on September 23 at a business conference attended by To Lam. Many of the deals are expected to be non-binding and form part of Hanoi's broader effort to ease trade tensions with Washington, which has threatened new tariffs on the export-dependent Southeast Asian economy.

In the energy sector, US firms Murphy Oil and Chevron are expected to announce agreements with state-owned Petrovietnam, while ExxonMobil is slated to sign an accord with Vietnam Refinery and Petrochemical Corporation, the country's second-largest refinery. Chevron signed a non-binding oil supply agreement with the refinery in February, but no subsequent purchase has been disclosed. Murphy Oil is active in oil and gas exploration in Vietnam, and ExxonMobil operates the country's largest gas field, which remains untapped.

Vietnam's largest private airline, Vietjet, features in several planned deals, including with aviation partners and SpaceX. The carrier is expected to announce the leasing of as many as 22 aircraft from four leasing companies, comprising 17 Boeing 737 jets and five Airbus A321neo planes. A separate contract with SpaceX would provide Starlink satellite internet services to 120 Vietjet aircraft. The airline also plans to sign memoranda of understanding with US jet engine maintenance firms.

The provisional list also includes an unspecified agreement between Meta and Vietnam's culture ministry, and a separate deal between US chip giant Qualcomm and Vietnamese telecom firm VNPT. Qualcomm is already involved in Vietnam's 5G rollout, while Meta's Facebook is the most popular social media platform in the country. Visa, Mastercard and Citibank are also expected to announce agreements with financial and hospitality partners in Vietnam.

To Lam is expected to address the UN General Assembly on September 22 and meet several US corporations, according to officials. His schedule has not been officially announced. The trip also aims to advance trade talks with the United States, and possibly to conclude a trade deal that has been under negotiation for more than a year. However, a meeting with US President Donald Trump is not certain, and Trump's schedule was not yet confirmed.

Vietnam's foreign ministry and the companies cited did not immediately respond to requests for comment, some outside business hours.