A container is loaded onto a cargo ship while docked at Hai Phong port, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on tariffs for many countries, in Hai Phong, Vietnam, April 16, 2025. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

HANOI (Reuters) -Vietnam's economy is robust enough to withstand external shocks, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said at a business conference on Monday.

Chinh said that 8% growth this year was achievable. Last month, Chinh told parliament that the government was aiming for growth of 10% in 2026, despite the United States imposing a tariff of 20% on imports from Vietnam.

The U.S. is Vietnam's biggest export market. Shipments to the U.S. have fallen since August month-on-month, government data showed last week, although for the first 10 months of the year Vietnam still recorded a $111 billion trade surplus with Washington.

(Reporting by Khanh Vu and Francesco Guarascio; Editing by by John Mair)