Chinese cars in Vietnam: which brands sell there and since when
Facts checked
Vietnam is open to Chinese brands but expensive to import into. Cars built in ASEAN countries enter duty-free under the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement if at least 40 per cent of their value is made within ASEAN, but Chinese-built cars do not get that rate. They pay the most-favoured-nation tariff, which ranges from about 32 to 50 per cent for mid-size engines after the cuts in Decree 73/2025 and up to 70 per cent otherwise, then special consumption tax on top. Special consumption tax is graduated by engine size for petrol and diesel cars, at 35 to 150 per cent, but battery-electric cars pay 3 per cent, cut from 15 per cent, until 28 February 2027.
Registration fees push further in the same direction. Decree 10/2022, in force from March 2022, exempted battery-electric cars from the first-registration fee for three years. Decree 51/2025, issued on 1 March 2025, extended the full exemption to 28 February 2027, and Decree 202/2026, issued on 8 June 2026, carried a zero first-registration fee for battery-electric cars from 1 March 2027 through to 31 December 2030.
BYD launched in Vietnam in July 2024 with the Dolphin, Seal and Atto 3, opening 13 stores and setting a target of 100 dealerships by 2026, and paused a factory plan. Chery's Omoda and Jaecoo unit set up a joint venture with the Hanoi group Geleximco to build a plant that was first announced for Thai Binh province and is now described as being in Hung Yen province, with construction due to start in mid-2026, an investment of up to US$800 million and eventual capacity of 200,000 vehicles a year. Wuling, MG, Haval, Lynk & Co, GAC and Haima also sell here. VinFast, the largest home-grown electric brand, is Vietnamese and not Chinese; it is named here only to avoid the confusion.
At a glance
| Country code | VN |
|---|---|
| Region | Asia-Pacific |
| Market status | Open |
| Brands recorded | 11 |
| Chinese-owned plants | 2 |
| Models on this site | 5 |
Brands sold in Vietnam
| Brand | Status | Since | Route to market | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 比亚迪BYD | Sold | July 2024 | The company itself | Launched on 18 July 2024 with the Dolphin, Seal and Atto 3 and 13 opening stores, targeting 100 dealerships by 2026. A Vietnamese factory plan was paused. |
| 欧萌达Omoda | Sold | 2024 | A joint venture | Chery's Omoda and Jaecoo joint venture with Geleximco entered Vietnam in 2024, planning 20 dealerships in 2024 and 30 by 2025. |
| 奇瑞探索Jaecoo | Sold | 2024 | A joint venture | Sold alongside Omoda through the Geleximco joint venture. |
| 奇瑞Chery | Sold | 2023 | An independent importer | Chery-badged models are sold in Vietnam; entry year to be re-checked against a primary source. |
| 五菱Wuling | Sold | 2023 | Local assembly | Assembled in Vietnam by TMT Motors under licence from SAIC-GM-Wuling. Assembly start date to be re-checked against a primary source. |
| 名爵MG | Sold | 2020 | An independent importer | Entry year to be re-checked against a primary source. |
| 哈弗Haval | Sold | 2023 | An independent importer | GWM's Haval brand sells in Vietnam; entry year to be re-checked. |
| 领克Lynk & Co | Sold | 2023 | An independent importer | Geely's Lynk & Co brand sells in Vietnam; entry year to be re-checked. |
| 传祺Trumpchi | Sold | 2023 | An independent importer | Sold in Vietnam under the GAC badge; entry year to be re-checked. |
| 海马Haima | Sold | 2023 | An independent importer | Haima sells in Vietnam through a local importer; entry year to be re-checked. |
| 吉利Geely | Sold | 2025 | An independent importer | Geely entered Vietnam and has considered a plant, though the company has been pausing factory investments. Entry year to be re-checked. |
The rules
Stated from the document that issued them, with the date each was read. Nothing here is an interpretation.
| Rule | What it says | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Import duty on Chinese-built cars | Cars built in ASEAN countries enter Vietnam at zero duty under the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement where at least 40 per cent of their value originates in ASEAN. Chinese-built cars do not qualify and pay the most-favoured-nation rate, which after Decree 73/2025 (effective 31 March 2025) runs from about 32 to 50 per cent for 2.0 to 2.5 litre cars and up to 70 per cent otherwise. | Vietnam Briefing | |
| Special consumption tax on battery-electric cars: 3 per cent | Special consumption tax on petrol and diesel cars runs from 35 to 150 per cent graduated by engine capacity, and hybrids pay 70 per cent of the normal rate. Battery-electric cars pay 3 per cent, reduced from 15 per cent, and the reduced rate applies until 28 February 2027. | Vietnam Briefing | |
| First-registration fee exemption for battery-electric cars | Decree 10/2022, in force from March 2022, exempted battery-electric cars from the first-registration fee for three years. Decree 51/2025, issued on 1 March 2025, extended the full exemption by two years to 28 February 2027. Decree 202/2026, issued on 8 June 2026, keeps the first-registration fee at zero for battery-electric cars from 1 March 2027 to 31 December 2030. | VietnamNet |
Chinese-owned plants in Vietnam
| Owner | Location | Since | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chery Holding Group | Hung Yen province, northern Vietnam | not published | Chery's Omoda and Jaecoo joint venture with the Hanoi group Geleximco. First announced for Thai Binh province and now described as being in Hung Yen; construction was due to start in mid-2026, with investment of up to US$800 million, first-year output of 30,000 to 60,000 vehicles and eventual capacity of 200,000 a year. Not yet in production. |
| SAIC-GM-Wuling | TMT Motors plant, Hung Yen province | 2023 | Not Chinese-owned: Wuling models are assembled under licence by the Vietnamese company TMT Motors. Assembly start date to be re-checked against a primary source. |
Models recorded in Vietnam
| Model | Body | Status | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aion Aion Y Plus | SUV | Sold | 430 km CLTC |
| Dongfeng Nammi Dongfeng Box | Hatchback | Sold | 330 km CLTC |
| MG MG7 | Saloon | Sold | not published |
| Proton X50 | SUV | Sold | not published |
| Wuling Wuling Hongguang Mini EV | Hatchback | Sold | 120 km NEDC |
Chinese cars in Vietnam: questions people ask
- Are Chinese cars taxed heavily in Vietnam?
- Chinese-built cars pay Vietnam's most-favoured-nation import duty, which runs from about 32 to 50 per cent for mid-size engines and up to 70 per cent otherwise, because they do not qualify for the zero rate that applies to cars built within ASEAN. Special consumption tax then applies on top.
- Do electric cars get an incentive in Vietnam?
- Yes. Battery-electric cars pay special consumption tax of 3 per cent instead of 15 per cent until 28 February 2027, and they pay no first-registration fee: exempt since March 2022, extended to 28 February 2027 by Decree 51/2025 and then to 31 December 2030 by Decree 202/2026.
- When did BYD launch in Vietnam?
- BYD launched on 18 July 2024 with three battery-electric models, the Dolphin, Seal and Atto 3, opening 13 stores and setting a target of 100 dealerships by 2026.
- Is VinFast a Chinese brand?
- No. VinFast is Vietnamese, part of the Vingroup conglomerate, and is not owned by any Chinese company. It is mentioned on this page only because it is often confused with the Chinese brands entering Vietnam.
- Is any Chinese carmaker building a factory in Vietnam?
- Chery's Omoda and Jaecoo unit has a joint venture with Geleximco to build a plant in northern Vietnam, with construction due to start in mid-2026 and eventual capacity of 200,000 vehicles a year. BYD paused its own factory plan.
What changed
The only dated surface on this page. It records status changes, not news.
-
Decree 202/2026 kept the zero first-registration fee for battery-electric cars from 1 March 2027 to 31 December 2030.
-
Chery confirmed construction of its Vietnamese plant would start in mid-2026, with up to US$800 million of investment and 200,000 vehicles a year at full capacity.
-
Decree 73/2025 reduced most-favoured-nation import duties on some car categories.
-
Decree 51/2025 extended the battery-electric first-registration fee exemption to 28 February 2027.
-
BYD launched in Vietnam with the Dolphin, Seal and Atto 3 and 13 opening stores.
-
Decree 10/2022 exempted battery-electric cars from the first-registration fee for three years.
Related
Sources for Vietnam
- CnEVPost, BYD launches 1st 3 BEV models in Vietnam. Read .
- KrASIA, China's Chery to open its largest ASEAN car factory in Vietnam in mid-2026. Read . Published 8 January 2026; Hung Yen location, US$800 million, 200,000 units a year; also reports BYD's paused factory plan.
- Vietnam Briefing, Vietnam extends EV registration fee exemption until 2027. Read . Decree 51/2025 of 1 March 2025 and the earlier Decree 10/2022.
- VietnamNet, Vietnam extends EV registration fee exemption through 2030. Read . Decree 202/2026 issued 8 June 2026.
- Vietnam Briefing, Vietnam reduces MFN tariff rates on strategic imports (Decree 73/2025). Read .
- Vietnam Government Portal (baochinhphu.vn), Cars imported from ASEAN enjoy zero percent import duty till 2027. Read .
- Emidas Magazine, Omoda and Jaecoo joint venture shows ambition in developing automobiles in Vietnam. Read . Geleximco joint venture, dealership plans and the originally announced Thai Binh plant site.
- Vietnam Briefing, Vietnam special consumption tax regime in 2026: key highlights. Read .