France and Vietnam signed a deal on Monday for 20 Airbus planes, among other pacts, as French President Emmanuel Macron visited Hanoi with the aim of boosting his country's influence in its former colony, which is grappling with threats of crippling U.S. tariffs.
Macron's first formal visit to Vietnam, the first by a French president in nearly a decade, follows U.S. President Donald Trump's threats on Friday of 50% duties on European Union goods from June that sharply fueled tension with the 27-nation bloc.
Export-dependent Vietnam, under pressure from Washington to buy more American goods, has made pledges in trade talks to avert 46% tariffs that could impair its growth, fanning European concerns about deals at the region's expense.
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