BOISE, Idaho — The United States and Vietnam share a long, complicated history — but Idaho Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke hopes the future will bring meaningful trade partnerships that strengthen both economies.
Bedke and an Idaho delegation representing 11 local businesses recently traveled to Vietnam on a trade mission to explore those opportunities.
"We were welcomed in a way you could feel at a human level," Bedke said of the reception in Vietnam.
Lieutenant Governor of Idaho Scott Bedke discusses what made their recent trip to Vietnam successful
The participating Idaho companies either aim to expand their presence in Southeast Asia or break into the Vietnamese market for the first time. Vietnam remains one of the leading Asian nations seeking to attract Western investment.
"The Vietnamese people want to do it on their own; they don't want to be propped up," Bedke said. "They don’t want us to give them a fish every day — they want to learn how we fish."
The delegation included milk and hay producers, potato and wheat growers, and hops industry representatives.
"We raise more than we consume here," Bedke said. "We’re always looking outside Idaho’s borders — outside the country’s borders — to sell our wares, to sell our commodities. And so every market that we open up, just takes product off the market— that helps the prices."
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Asked how he measures success on such a short trip, Bedke credited a recent visit to Southeast Asia by former President Donald Trump earlier in the fall, which he said helped lay the groundwork for dropping tariffs down to zero.
"They want to do business, and they don’t charge the high tariffs that keep our products out," he said.
Bedke expects participating companies will share their sales numbers over the next year to gauge the mission’s impact.
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