France and Vietnam agree on agreements totaling $10 billion during Macron’s visit to Hanoi.

On Monday, France and Vietnam finalized agreements concerning Airbus aircraft, defense, and other contracts valued at over $10 billion, as President Emmanuel Macron traveled to Hanoi to enhance France’s presence in its former colony amid the potential threat of steep U.S. tariffs.

Macron’s initial official trip to Vietnam, marking the first by a French president in almost ten years, comes after U.S. President Donald Trump’s Friday threats to levy 50% tariffs on European Union products starting June 1, increasing tensions with the 27-nation bloc, although he subsequently postponed that date to July 9.

Vietnam, reliant on exports and facing pressure from Washington to purchase more American products, has committed to trade discussions in an effort to avoid 46% tariffs that might hinder its growth, raising European worries about agreements that could disadvantage the region.

Macron announced that France finalized contracts valued at 9 billion euros ($10.25 billion) in Vietnam during his trip.

The agreements involved the acquisition of 20 Airbus aircraft, collaboration in nuclear energy, defense, railways, and maritime transport, Airbus earth-observation satellites, and Sanofi vaccines (SASY.PA), opens new tab, according to a list of documents reviewed by Reuters, validating an earlier report.

A total of 14 agreements were finalized, falling short of the many that the French presidential palace claimed were being arranged prior to the visit; however, additional deals were anticipated to be revealed on Tuesday, stated an official.

In press statements where questions were not permitted, Macron reaffirmed France’s backing for freedom of navigation, a matter important to Vietnam, which frequently disputes with Beijing over contested territories in the South China Sea.

Macron added the partnership with Vietnam “entails a reinforced defence cooperation”, citing the signing of multiple projects on defence and space.

Vietnam’s President Luong Cuong said the defence partnership involved “sharing of information on strategic matters” and stronger cooperation in the defence industry, cybersecurity and anti-terrorism.

France governed the Southeast Asian nation for roughly 70 years until it was expelled in 1954 following a significant loss at Dien Bien Phu in northern Vietnam. Relations have strengthened in recent decades, reaching Vietnam’s highest status last year. On this journey, which is the first part of a Southeast Asian tour also covering Indonesia and Singapore, Macron engaged with Vietnamese leaders and is scheduled to visit a university in Hanoi on Tuesday, prior to heading to Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia.

Upon reaching Hanoi on Sunday night, a video revealed that Macron’s wife Brigitte seemed to shove him in the face while they were still aboard the plane, an incident that the Elysee described as “a moment of closeness.”