The Haunting Automotive Headline: “August’s Auto Import Ails: A Month of Slow Sales and Stark Statistics.”

The latest report from the General Department of Vietnam Customs revealed that in the first half of August, the number of imported cars into Vietnam reached 6,195 units, with a total value of over 114 million USD.

This marks a significant drop in imported cars into the country, as compared to previous reports that consistently showed high figures. In the latter half of July, for instance, Vietnam imported 9,072 cars with a total value of over 182 million USD.

Sharp Decline in Car Imports to Vietnam at the Start of the Ghost Month
Car imports into Vietnam in the last 3 months (Data: General Department of Vietnam Customs)
Label	1st Half of May	2nd Half of May	1st Half of June	2nd Half of June	1st Half of July	2nd Half of July	1st Half of Aug
Number of Imported Cars into Vietnam	units	6952	7990	8038	7852	8154	9072	6195

From August 1st to 15th, Vietnam imported 5,509 cars with 9 seats or less, accounting for nearly 89% of the total imports during this period. Cumulatively, from the beginning of the year to this period, Vietnam has imported 80,085 cars in this category, with a total value of nearly 1.36 billion USD.

Currently, the Vietnamese car market is in the Ghost Month, which is typically considered a low point in terms of car-buying demand.

In the July report, which was right before the start of the Ghost Month, the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (VAMA) reported a total market sales of 28,920 units, a 9% increase compared to the previous month and a 17% surge from the same period last year.

From the beginning of the year to date, Vietnamese consumers have purchased a total of 163,804 cars of all types, including 81,637 assembled cars and 82,167 imported cars. This is a rare occasion where the sales of imported cars in Vietnam have surpassed that of the assembled car segment.

Mitsubishi Xpander is one of the best-selling car models in Vietnam.

In addition to the VF 5 Plus, which has sold nearly 15,000 units according to VinFast, the Mitsubishi Xpander is currently one of the top-selling car models in Vietnam, with a total of 9,265 units delivered to customers. This includes 8,336 imported Xpander units, accounting for nearly 90%.

The list of best-selling cars in Vietnam also includes several fully imported models such as the Mitsubishi Xforce (5,638 units), Ford Everest (5,393 units), and Toyota Yaris Cross, which has sold a total of 4,992 units so far this year. Additionally, the cumulative sales of 9,019 units for the Ford Ranger include 1,619 units that were imported into Vietnam from Thailand.