China Is Major Supplier of Foreign Cars to Vietnam

According to Vneconomy on February 28, citing preliminary customs statistics, Vietnam's imports of complete vehicles in January 2026 rose slightly by 2.3% (an increase of 335 units) compared to the previous month. Notably, imports from China surpassed those from Indonesia and Thailand, making China Vietnam's largest automobile supplier.

In January 2026, the majority of imported complete vehicles from Vietnam came from three major markets: China (6,661 units), Indonesia (4,141 units), and Thailand (3,015 units). The total number of vehicles imported from these three markets was 13,817 units, accounting for 92% of Vietnam's total vehicle imports for the month.

In January 2026, Vietnam imported 8,275 passenger cars with nine seats or fewer, totaling USD 156.9 million in value, accounting for 55% of the total imported vehicles. Compared with the previous month, the number of imported passenger cars with nine seats or fewer decreased by 17.6% (1,771 units). The main sources of these vehicles registered for import in January 2026 were Indonesia (4,141 units), Thailand (1,993 units), and China (1,480 units).

Regarding transport vehicles, in January 2026, Vietnam processed customs import procedures for 3,669 transport vehicles valued at $96 million; compared with the previous month, the quantity increased by 26.7%, but the value decreased by 13.6%. Of these, 2,138 vehicles were imported from China and 1,022 from Thailand. Imports from these two markets totaled 3,160 vehicles, accounting for 86% of Vietnam’s total imports of such vehicles.

Regarding other special-purpose vehicles, in January 2025, Vietnamese enterprises imported 3,093 units, with a declared value of approximately $132 million. Of these, 3,043 units were imported from China, accounting for 98% of Vietnam’s total imports of such vehicles.

Compared to the same period last year, the number of various types of vehicles in January 2026 increased by 110% (an increase of 7,883 vehicles); among them, passenger cars with 9 seats or less increased by 45.2% (an increase of 2,577 vehicles), and commercial vehicles increased by 628% (an increase of 3,165 vehicles).

In January 2026, Vietnamese enterprises imported automotive parts worth USD 672 million, down from USD 707 million in the previous month, representing a 5% decline in automotive parts import value month-on-month. The sources of such imports are highly diversified, primarily comprising China (USD 356 million), South Korea (USD 78.8 million), Japan (USD 71.4 million), Thailand (USD 58.8 million), India (USD 37.1 million), and Indonesia (USD 30.3 million). Overall, imports from these six markets/countries of origin totaled USD 632 million, accounting for 89% of Vietnam’s total automotive parts imports in the previous month.

Compared to the same period last year, the import value of auto parts in January 2026 increased by 79.9%, equivalent to an increase of $298 million. Therefore, the total import value of vehicles and auto parts in January 2026 reached $1.06 billion, a decrease of 5.1% (equivalent to a reduction of $56.6 million) from the previous month, but an increase of 98% (equivalent to an increase of $523 million) compared to the same period last year.