Indonesia, Thailand boost auto imports into Vietnam

Vietnam’s auto imports in July were worth US$597.25 million, up 40.8 percent from the same period last year, according to Vietnam Customs.

The number of vehicles rose 8.1 percent from the previous month.

The average import value per vehicle was $21,572, down 4.61 percent from June and 4.59 percent year on year.

Indonesia remained Vietnam’s largest source of imported vehicles, supplying 12,137 units in July. The figure rose 4.6 percent from June and surged 96.7 percent from the same month last year.

Thailand ranked second with 9,094 vehicles, up 26.5 percent month on month and 36.57 percent year on year.

China supplied 5,091 vehicles worth $168.2 million in July. Compared with June, the number fell 10.7 percent and the import value declined 21.2 percent. However, imports were still up 16.6 percent year on year.

Thailand had traditionally been Vietnam’s largest source of imported vehicles, but Indonesia has overtaken it over the past two years. In June, Vietnam imported 11,608 vehicles from Indonesia, compared with 7,186 from Thailand.

The shift has been driven largely by the growing popularity of small MPVs and urban SUVs manufactured in Indonesia, including the Mitsubishi Xpander, Toyota Veloz, Hyundai Stargazer and Suzuki XL7.

Thailand remains a major supplier of pickup trucks and midsize SUVs, such as the Ford Ranger and Everest. Although imports from Thailand recovered in July, they remained below those from Indonesia.

China ranked third among Vietnam’s vehicle import sources. Passenger cars from Chinese brands such as MG, Haval and Lynk & Co, as well as newer electric vehicle brands, have been gradually expanding their presence in the Vietnamese market.

However, China’s relatively high import value is largely attributed to the large number of heavy-duty trucks, tractor-trailers, specialized vehicles and buses imported for major infrastructure projects and the logistics sector. Their high unit prices have pushed the total value of vehicles imported from China above those from Thailand and Indonesia.

In January-July 2026, Vietnam imported nearly 148,700 completely built-up vehicles worth $3.46 billion, up 22.4 percent in volume from the same period last year.

The average import value during the January–July period was $23,241 per vehicle, up 6.41 percent year on year.