According to the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA), sales of locally-assembled vehicles in May rose just 1 per cent compared to April, while sales of imported completely-built-unit (CBU) vehicles rose 7 per cent. Of note, May was the last month locally-assembled and manufactured vehicles were subject to a 50 per cent reduction on registration fees.
According to the General Statistics Office, increases in food and gasoline prices pushed up the CPI in May by 0.38 per cent compared to April. The CPI in the first five months of the year rose 2.25 per cent year-on-year. Core inflation in May was 0.29 per cent month-on-month. There are concerns that Vietnam’s economy will face inflationary pressure into the future.