07:54 PM EDT, 05/29/2026 (MT Newswires) -- The United States has launched a third trade investigation into Vietnam, this time focusing on the country's handling of intellectual property rights, Bloomberg reported Friday.

The Office of the US Trade Representative said the Section 301 investigation will examine Vietnam's policies and practices related to intellectual property protection and enforcement and assess their impact on US commerce. The probe could eventually lead to new tariffs on Vietnamese goods.

Vietnam was designated a "priority foreign country" in a USTR report released in April, the first country to receive that designation in 13 years. Bloomberg said the designation is reserved for nations with the most serious IP concerns.

Vietnam is already facing two separate Section 301 investigations related to alleged excess manufacturing capacity and forced labor, with those probes expected to conclude in July.