Vietnam’s top leader, To Lam, has asked President Trump to delay the imposition of tariffs for at least 45 days so the two sides can avert a move that would devastate the Vietnamese economy and raise prices for American consumers.

The 46 percent tariff rate the United States has said it will impose on Vietnam is among the highest any country faces. The prospect of such a steep tariff has left Vietnam with a sense of whiplash and deep apprehension. It also presents a sharp contrast to Washington’s recent embrace of Hanoi as an important bulwark against China and a manufacturing destination for many American apparel brands.

Mr. Lam’s proposal to President Trump was laid out in a letter dated Saturday, according to a copy obtained by The New York Times. In the letter, Mr. Lam called on Mr. Trump to appoint a U.S. representative to lead negotiations with Ho Duc Phoc, a Vietnamese deputy prime minister, “with the goal of reaching an agreement as soon as possible.”

Mr. Lam had been one of the first world leaders to reach out to Mr. Trump after the tariffs were announced. In a phone call, he offered to reduce tariffs on U.S. imports to zero, and urged Mr. Trump to do the same, according to the Vietnamese government. Vietnam has said its tariffs on U.S. goods is an average of 9.4 percent.

Mr. Trump later described the call as “very productive.”

In his letter, Mr. Lam asked Mr. Trump to meet him in person in Washington at the end of May “to jointly come to an agreement on this important matter, for the benefit of both our peoples and to contribute to peace,betef casino stability and development in the region and the world.”

Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

Vietnam, which faces punishingly high tariffs along with China, Cambodia and Laos, would be the hardest-hit economy in Asia if the tariffs are imposed as planned on Wednesday, according to economists. The United States is Vietnam’s largest export market, accounting for about 30 percent of the country’s total exports. A 46 percent tariff rate would put 5.5 percent of Vietnam’s gross domestic product at risk, according to ING, a Dutch financial services company.

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