US, Vietnam firms to sign agreements as To Lam travels to New York, documents show

The United States and Vietnamese corporations are set to announce a series of agreements next week in New York, according to officials and documents reviewed by Reuters. The commercial agreements, many of which are expected to be non-binding, are part of Vietnam's strategy to calm Washington amid threats of new tariffs from the Trump administration.

A planning note lists 29 potential agreements to be unveiled on September 23 during a business conference attended by To Lam, Vietnam's leader. U.S. energy firms Murphy Oil and Chevron are expected to partner with Petrovietnam, Vietnam's state-owned oil company, while ExxonMobil is set to sign an accord with Vietnam Refinery and Petrochemical Corporation, the nation's second-largest refinery.

In February, Petrovietnam inked a non-binding oil supply agreement with Chevron, but no follow-up purchases have been announced. Murphy Oil is involved in oil and gas exploration in Vietnam, while ExxonMobil operates the largest gas field in the country, which remains untapped. The agreements are scheduled for To Lam's last day in New York before he heads to Canada for a state visit.

He plans to address the U.N. General Assembly on September 22 and meet with several U.S. corporations. While a meeting with President Trump is not guaranteed, the trip aims to advance trade talks with the United States, potentially leading to a long-negotiated trade deal. The document also lists deals involving Vietjet, Vietnam's largest private airline, including the leasing of up to 22 planes from four aviation leasing companies, and a satellite internet contract with SpaceX for 120 Vietjet aircraft.

Additionally, provisional agreements include collaborations between Meta and Vietnam's ministry of culture, and Qualcomm with Vietnamese telecom firm VNPT. Visa, Mastercard, and Citibank are also expected to announce partnerships with financial and hospitality stakeholders in Vietnam.