By Phuong Nguyen and Francesco Guarascio
HANOI (Reuters) – The Trump Organization and a local partner are exploring plans to build a skyscraper in Vietnam’s business hub of Ho Chi Minh City, with Eric Trump expected to visit this week, a Vietnamese government document seen by Reuters shows.
The visit by the son of U.S. President Donald Trump comes just after Vietnam gave his family business the green light for a separate $1.5-billion golf project as the export-reliant southeast Asian nation holds talks with Washington to avoid punitive trade tariffs.
Ho Chi Minh City officials are invited to “attend a dinner party with Eric Trump, senior vice president of the Trump Organization” set for Thursday evening at a central hotel in the city, according to the internal document.
The May 15 document, signed by the acting head of the foreign ministry department in the city, said representatives of the Trump Organization would visit an upscale central area.
There they would “survey the proposed location of the Trump Tower building and hope to have a working session with the city’s leaders about this project”, it added, inviting local authorities to cooperate with the business delegation.
The Trump Organization is run by Trump’s children after he handed off its leadership after he won his first term as U.S. president.
Another meeting between Ho Chi Minh City authorities and a representative of the venture between the Trump Organization and its Vietnamese partner, real estate developer Kinhbac City, is set for later on Monday, the document showed.
Both meetings are confirmed in a public schedule published on Monday on the Ho Chi Minh City website, which does not, however, elaborate on their content or name the participants.
Vietnam’s foreign ministry, the Trump Organization and Kinhbac City did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
With the skyscraper plan in an early stage, it is unclear if it will be pursued by the Trump Organization and if authorities will approve it.
MULTI-BILLION-DOLLAR PLANS
Vietnam faces tariffs of 46% on its exports to the United States if it cannot strike a compromise with the White House before a pause on global “reciprocal” duties expires in July.
It has made pledges to Washington to avoid tariffs, from lowering tariffs and non-tariff barriers, combating trade frauds and counterfeiting, and offering favourable conditions to Starlink, owned by Trump’s close ally Elon Musk, to roll out internet services in the country.
The plan for the Trump delegation’s visit, which could change, comes after Vietnam approved last week a plan by the Trump Organization and Kinhbac City to invest $1.5 billion in golf courses, hotels and real estate projects in its north.
A person with direct knowledge confirmed Eric Trump’s visit to Vietnam this week and said the groundbreaking ceremony for the golf project in northern Vietnam was set for Wednesday.
The person declined to be identified as the events were still being organised.
In March, Reuters reported that the groundbreaking event was set for May, and that the Trump Organization and its local partner were also seeking additional projects in the country.
Although they are considering multi-billion-dollar investments in Vietnam, it is unclear how the two share costs and revenues, and what conditions have been set for use of the Trump franchise.
The Trump Organization has luxury golf projects, existing or under development, in countries from Indonesia to the Middle East.
(Reporting by Phuong Nguyen and Francesco Guarascio; Editing by John Mair and Clarence Fernandez)
