Hanoi: Vietnam and the European Union Thursday upgraded ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership, Vietnam’s highest diplomatic level, as both recalibrate trade amid disruptions to global finance driven by U.S. tariff pressure. Costa arrived in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi after India, and the European Union reached a free trade agreement Tuesday after nearly two decades of negotiation. For the EU, the deal strengthens access to one of Asia’s fastest-growing manufacturing hubs and supports efforts to diversify supply chains as trade tensions increase. Bilateral trade in the first 11 months of 2025 reached more than $66.8 billion, up 6.6% from a year earlier. The EU is Vietnam’s fourth-largest trading partner, third-largest export market and fifth-largest import source.