Vietnam imported 90,611 completely-built automobiles worth nearly 2.1 billion U.S. dollars from Jan. 1 to Dec. 15, down 16,684 units and down 196 million U.S. dollars over the same period last year.

The imported automobiles included 35,977 vehicles with fewer nine seats, and 41,845 trucks, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs on Thursday.

In recent weeks, Vietnam has imported more automobiles, especially cars, compared with last month, partly because many local people often buy vehicles before the lunar new year festival which falls in mid-February 2018, experts said.

However, total automobile sales this year are poised to drop against last year, mainly because potential buyers are waiting for lower prices of imported vehicles. Vietnam will next month slash import taxes on automobiles to zero percent in line with the ASEAN Free Trade Area.

Source: Xinhua