The United States and Vietnam are set to hold a new round of trade negotiations by the end of next week, as announced by Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade on Thursday. This development follows Hanoi’s submission of a formal response document addressing trade inquiries from the US. The upcoming third round of talks aims to reach a compromise before the impending expiration of the current 46% “reciprocal” tariffs imposed on Vietnamese exports to the US, scheduled for early July. The urgency underscores the increasing economic and geopolitical significance of US-Vietnam trade relations amid global market volatility.

Azerbaijan's state energy company SOCAR is set to finalize new oil and gas exploration agreements, including potential collaborations with Exxon Mobil $XOM and BP $BP. This strategic move comes as the country intensifies efforts to expand its hydrocarbon output and export capacity, particularly in natural gas, as part of a broader geopolitical and economic agenda.

Japan’s Ministry of Finance conducted a crucial auction of 40-year government bonds on Wednesday, selling approximately JPY 500 billion (~USD 3.46 billion). The auction’s poor performance underscored growing unease about Japan’s sovereign debt outlook, as the bond market continues to grapple with concerns over budget deficits and global interest rate volatility. This event highlights the fragility in long-term sovereign debt markets and echoes warnings from major financial institutions like Goldman Sachs.