AsianFin -- Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade announced that a second round of trade negotiations with the United States has kicked off in Washington, as the Southeast Asian nation seeks to avoid a proposed 46% tariff.

The bilateral talks began on Monday and are scheduled to continue through May 22, according to a statement released on Tuesday. The initial round of discussions took place earlier this month.

“The two sides discussed the overall framework for addressing key concerns and agreed to accelerate the negotiation process,” the ministry said.

The statement added that both countries are reviewing existing policy frameworks as a foundation for advancing to the next phase of talks.