Vietnam spends $1.57bn importing Chinese cars in January-August

During the January-August period, Vietnam imported 168,033 completely built-up cars valued at over $3.9 billion, up 22 percent in volume and nearly 30 percent in value compared to the same period last year.

Indonesia, Thailand, and China remained the top suppliers, accounting for 159,112 vehicles, or nearly 95 percent of total imports.

Indonesia ranked first by volume with 70,366 cars worth $1.01 billion, followed by Thailand with 44,411 cars worth nearly $923 million.

China supplied 44,335 cars, nearly equal to Thailand in volume but significantly higher in value, reaching $1.57 billion.

The average import price per car from China was about $35,300, compared to $20,800 from Thailand and $14,400 from Indonesia.

Customs data also showed that Chinese imports included a mix of passenger cars, transport vehicles, and other categories.

Chinese car imports have surged in recent years.

Vietnam purchased 11,002 cars from China in 2023, 31,112 in 2024, and 47,895 in 2025.

In just eight months of 2026, imports already reached 92 percent of last year’s total volume, with trade value nearly matching the full-year figure.

Between 2023 and 2025, the number of completely built-up cars imported from China increased more than fourfold, with the upward trend continuing through the first eight months of this year.

China is also Vietnam’s largest supplier of auto parts.

In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam spent more than $5 billion on imported auto parts, up 39 percent year on year. Of this, $2.7 billion came from China, accounting for more than half of the total.

The figures highlight China’s large share in Vietnam’s auto market, both in finished vehicles and components.