Vietnam's leaders were surprised after U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally announced a 20% tariff rate on Vietnamese exports on July 2 because, according to sources cited in a July 11 Politico report, this was almost double the 11% rate Hanoi had reportedly agreed to in its trade negotiations with the White House. The Politico sources said the announcement contradicted Vietnam's understanding of the trade agreement terms, adding that Trump raised the tariff rate at the last minute. Despite Trump's claims of a finalized trade deal, Vietnam has yet to formally accept it, and little mention has been made of the deal in Vietnam's tightly controlled media environment.