HCMC – Vietnam saw a slight decline in completely built-up (CBU) car imports in October after several months of growth, while imports of auto parts and components rose again, signaling stronger demand for domestic assembly.
Data from the General Department of Vietnam Customs showed the country imported 16,343 CBU vehicles in October, down 5.5% from the previous month, equivalent to a drop of 952 units, according to the Vietnam News Agency.
Indonesia, Thailand, and China remained the three main suppliers. Shipments from Indonesia fell sharply by 30% to 5,219 units. Thailand exported 5,249 units to Vietnam, up 22.7%, while imports from China rose 9.2% to 4,452 units. Together, these markets accounted for 14,920 units, or 92% of the country’s total CBU imports.
In the first 10 months of the year, Vietnam imported 171,364 CBU vehicles, up 20% year-on-year. Passenger cars with fewer than nine seats reached 128,564 units, up 9.5%. Imports of trucks surged 79.6% to 22,415 units. The value of CBU imports hit US$3.85 billion, a 31% increase from the same period last year.
Imports of auto parts and components recorded a strong rebound in October. Companies spent US$532.6 million on parts imports, up 8.3% month-on-month. China was the largest supplier, with US$241 million worth of shipments, followed by Thailand (US$77.8 million), Japan (US$70.1 million), and South Korea (US$55.2 million). These markets made up 94% of total parts imports.
For the January–October period, Vietnam imported US$4.65 billion worth of auto parts and components, an increase of 18.4% year-on-year.
Combined imports of CBU vehicles and parts totaled US$8.5 billion in the first 10 months, up 23.8% over the same period last year. The uptick reflects continued market demand, supporting both imported vehicles and the domestic manufacturing and assembly sector.
