Bessent based his assumption that there’s a written and signed agreement on the trade deals reached with Indonesia and the Philippines. Notably, Indonesia contests some of Trump’s claims about its deal, and details about the Philippines deal remain scant beyond Trump’s Truth Social posts.

On July 2, President Donald Trump finalized a new trade agreement with Vietnam, which he had personally negotiated with General Secretary Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The deal has a tariff of 20%, which will be assessed on all goods imported from Vietnam, and a 40% charge on any goods that might be considered transshipped goods.

Weeks after President Donald Trump announced a ‘great’ trade deal with Vietnam, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has raised doubts whether the United States and Vietnam have actually signed a deal. As he said he was not aware of the deal,