Businesses are divided over whether the Trump administration should impose new tariffs on Vietnamese goods before a November 29 deadline for a US Trade Representative probe into Vietnam’s alleged intellectual-property violations. The investigation opened May 29 under Section 301 of the Trade Act, a provision that can support trade remedies including tariffs. Washington has designated Vietnam a "priority foreign country," the first jurisdiction added to the most serious US intellectual-property watchlist category in 13 years, while a separate investigation into alleged excessive capacity is also underway. Tesla, Samsung and industries including footwear, apparel, bicycles and video-game consoles oppose additional duties because of their reliance on Vietnamese supply chains. Producer groups representing steel, seafood, plywood, solar panels and wood products, along with software, film and music organizations, are urging tariffs and stronger enforcement. The US already applies a general 12.5% tariff on Vietnamese goods following a forced-labor investigation, while the Supreme Court struck down earlier 20% tariffs imposed after Trump’s "Liberation Day." Vietnam’s exports to the US rose 42% in the first eight months of this year from the same period in 2025, giving it the largest US goods surplus among trading partners ahead of China and Mexico.