Auto imports in January 46 times higher than last year
Vietnam imported nearly 11,700 cars worth more than 273 million USD in the first month of 2019, marking the fifth consecutive month with a volume of at least 10,000 units, according to statistics from the General Department of Vietnam Customs.
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| Cars at the Chu Lai-Truong Hai Automobile Manufacturing and Assembly Complex in the central province of Quang Nam |
This figure is about 46 times higher than in January last year, which saw particularly low import numbers – just 246 cars – because many companies, including Honda, Toyota, Ford, Nissan and Mitsubishi, announced halts on imports after the Government issued Decree 116 on the conditions for production and assembly and requirements for warranty and maintenance services. These difficulties have since been resolved, allowing imports to resume.
The General Department of Vietnam Customs said that 67 percent of vehicles imported in January were cars with nine seats or fewer. Trucks made up 30 percent of vehicle imports and the remainders were cars with more than nine seats and special-purpose vehicles.
Thailand and Indonesia remained the largest exporters of cars to Vietnam. Of the January imports, nearly 7,400 cars – 63 percent – came from Thailand, worth 153 million USD.
According to the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (VAMA), the domestic market witnessed January sales of nearly 33,500 units, up 27 percent versus the same period last year. Passenger cars led with nearly 27,400 units sold, followed by commercial vehicles with 5,755 units and special-purpose vehicles with 333.
