Vietnam’s Car Market Surged 55% in 2015
Car sales in Vietnam zoomed 55% to a record 245,000 units last year, Thanh Nien News reports.
#economics
Car sales in Vietnam zoomed 55% to a record 245,000 units last year, Thanh Nien News reports.
Volume in 2015 was buoyed by consumers rushing to beat the impact of a higher luxury tax that began Jan. 1 and hiked prices on imported cars by 2%-13%. The cost of doing business also has risen this year, thanks to a new consumption tax imposed on advertising and vehicle warranties.
The Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers’ Assn. says new-car demand will probably slow to 10% in 2016. But Thanh Nien notes that some industry leaders predict sales could climb as much as 30% because of the country’s strong economy.
More than half the cars sold in Vietnam today are produced locally, mainly by domestic contract assemblers. But that is expected to shift significantly as the country lowers its import tax on vehicles from 50% in 2015 to zero by 2018.
Analysts say the move—prompted by Vietnam’s participation in an ASEAN regional trade agreement— will trigger a surge in low-priced imports. Domestic assemblers, they point out, continue to struggle with a weak local supply base.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Ford’s $42 Billion Cash Cow
F-Series pickups generate about 30% of the carmaker’s revenue. The tally is about twice as much as what McDonald’s pulls in.
-
Tariffs on Autos: “No One Wins”
While talk of tariffs may make the president sound tough and which gives the talking heads on cable something to talk about, the impact of the potential 25 percent tariffs on vehicles imported to the U.S. could have some fairly significant consequences.
-
On Quantum Navigation, EVs, Auto Industry Sales and more
Sandia’s quantum navi, three things about EVs, transporting iron ore in an EV during the winter, going underwater in an EV (OK, it is a sub), state of the UK auto industry (sad), why the Big Three likes Big Vehicles, and the future of logistics.