National carrier Vietnam Airlines placed an order for around 50 Boeing 737-8 aircraft and opened discussions for an additional order for around 30 wide-body aircraft in the future, the airline said in a statement.

The agreement creates “a solid foundation for our ambition to become a leading airline by 2030,” the carrier’s chairman, Dang Ngoc Hoa, said in a statement.

Low-cost carrier Vietjet Air also announced two contracts, totalling US$6.3 billion.

Of that, about US$5.4 billion will go toward supplies and maintenance of engines for 44 Airbus A320 series aircraft by US manufacturer Pratt & Whitney.

Around US$960 million remaining will go towards leasing six Boeing 737 series aircraft from Griffin Global Asset Management.

The signing took place on the sidelines of Vietnamese leader To Lam’s visit to Washington, where he is expected to join the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace”.

The agreements come as the two countries continue trade negotiations on US tariffs on Vietnamese products, currently set at 20%.

Vietnam, a manufacturing hub in Southeast Asia, has posted 8% growth despite the new US tariffs, defying expectations at a time when many feared the collapse of its export-driven growth model.