Vietnam imports over 6,300 cars during first half of January
Vietnam spent more than US$161 million on importing 6,306 completely built-up (CBU) cars of all kinds throughout the first 15 days of January, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.
The volume of imported cars is anticipated to meet the rising demand of customers after the Lunar New Year known locally as Tet.
Out of the total, 5,776 were nine-seater cars, making up 91.6% of the total and equivalent to 85.1% in turnover.
Last year saw Indonesia continue to represent the largest car supplier to Vietnam with 72,671 units, followed by Thailand with 72,032 vehicles.
In the reviewed period, Vietnam purchased more than US$174 million worth of auto components, however, it also enjoyed a trade surplus of over US$146 million in this group, with export turnover reaching over US$320 million.
Although the volume of imported cars has shown an upward trend in recent years, the number of imported CBU is anticipated to level off this year.
This can be attributed to the fact that several popular automakers such as Hyundai, Toyota, and BMW have injected money into domestic production and assembly lines.
Toyota Vietnam recently launched made-in-Vietnam units of its Veloz Cross and Avanza Premio car models in the Vietnamese market. Furthermore, cars branded Hyundai Creta, which have been imported from Indonesia, are likely to be assembled domestically in the near future.
