Number of imported cars into Vietnam increased by 25 times in March

According to statistics of the General Statistics Office of Vietnam, the number of cars imported into Vietnam in March 2018 is 25 times higher than the previous month, reaching the value of $115 million.

Previously, only 200 units were imported into Vietnam in February 2018 with a total value of $14 million while the figure for this January was only 340 units.

In addition, according to preliminary statistics of the General Department of Vietnam Customs, from March 22 to 29, there were 986 complete built-up vehicles (CBUs) registered for customs declarations with the total value of over $21 million.

481 cars having the total value of $10.9 million out of these 986 units are nine-seater or less. These cars are registered the customs declaration at the border gates in Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang and Vung Tau. 

In terms of nine or fewer passenger vehicles, 404 units were from Thailand, 52 units were from Sweden, only one unit imported from Germany and Taiwan while the figures for Mexico, Japan, and the US were 17, 3 and 2 units respectively.

Previously, data from 16 to 22 March 2018 of the General Department of Vietnam Customs showed only 51 CBU cars of all types registered for customs declarations with a value of nearly $2.6 million.

It is obvious that the number of imported cars has increased sharply in the past time, again confirming the strong return of imported cars after about three months.

On the first day of last month, the imported car market received good news as 2,000 units of Honda's duty-free cars imported from Thailand opened the way in removing the tight knot of Vehicle Type Approval (VTA) certification issued by authorities in the exporting country as regulated in the Decree No. 116.

After Honda, a number of other brands also urgently tried to complete the procedures to order cars from Thailand.

The Ministry of Transport has also accepted the VTA certification issued by the Government of Indonesia. It is expected that cars imported from this market will be transported to Vietnam in the next 3 - 5 months.

Automotive enterprises must ensure the quality of cars

Despite overcoming the obstacles related to VTA certification regulated in the Decree No. 116, car importers will have to make stronger commitments in ensuring the quality of cars.

Lately, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has asked the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Transport to study and build appropriate technical barriers to manage the quality of imported cars.

Specifically, the document No. 2601/VPCP-CN sent to these two ministries requested the cooperation with other ministries and agencies to continue reviewing, building and completing the standard system for imported CBU vehicles in order to ensure the State’s requirements on enhancing the quality management of imported vehicles to protect consumers, and in line with international commitments.