Decline in Auto Imports to Vietnam Due to Declining Purchasing Power

Vietnam's auto market, previously on the rise, took an unexpected downturn. This could explain the consecutive decline in car imports during recent periods.

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The number of cars imported into Vietnam showed a significant decrease in the first half of May. Photo: T.T.

According to the latest report from the General Department of Customs, the total number of imported cars in Vietnam in the first half of May was 3,257 units, with a total value of nearly 88 million USD.

Out of this total, 2,387 units were 9-seaters and below, with a total value of over 60 million USD. There were also 533 transportation cars imported, with a total value of 12.7 million USD. The remaining cars belonged to the group with more than 9 seats.

This marks the third consecutive reporting period to see a decline in car import activities in Vietnam. Previous reports from the General Department of Customs have shown a gradual decrease in the number of cars entering Vietnamese ports since the first half of April.

It is worth noting that the number of imported cars in the first half of May only accounted for 53.5% of the previous reporting period’s import volume and about 52.3% of the figures recorded in the same period of April.

Sharp decline in car imports into Vietnam
Number of car imports into Vietnam in the last 3 months (Data: General Department of Customs)
Label March 1 period March 2 period April 1 period April 2 period May 1 period
cars 7285 7943 6233 6090 3257

Since the beginning of the year, the total number of car imports into Vietnam has reached 57,604 units, with a total value of nearly 1.3 billion USD. 9-seaters and below account for 80.2% of the quantity and about 76.1% of the total value of imported cars.

Despite the recent decline, car import activities have been strong in the early months of the year, keeping the total number of cars entering Vietnamese ports higher than the 45,322 units recorded in the same period last year.

In January, there were 14,457 car imports of all types, with a total value of approximately 314.5 million USD. This represents a 219% increase in quantity and a 149% increase in value compared to the same period in 2022.

March has been the busiest period for car import activities so far, with a total of 15,228 units entering Vietnamese ports. The total import value of fully assembled cars in this reporting period was over 355 million USD, equivalent to an average of nearly 23,340 USD per car.

Thailand and Indonesia remain the main countries supplying cars to the Vietnamese market. Many car models from these two Southeast Asian countries continue to be among the best-selling cars in Vietnam, including Mitsubishi Xpander (5,528 units in 4 months), Toyota Corolla Cross (4,727 units), Hyundai Creta (3,284 units), and Ford Everest with a total of 3,263 units sold since the beginning of the year.

However, the report from the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (VAMA) shows that the overall car market in Vietnam has decreased by 30% compared to the first 4 months of 2022. Imported car sales have decreased by 16% to 42,784 units, while locally assembled car sales have decreased by 39% to 50,017 units compared to the same period last year.

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