Preliminary data from Vietnam Customs show that total imports of machinery and equipment reached US$18.56 billion as of April 15. In the first half of April alone, imports amounted to US$3.06 billion.

In March, the import value surged 37.3% compared to February and 14.6% year on year to over US$5.55 billion. For the first quarter of 2026, total imports of this category stood at nearly US$15.5 billion, up 22.7% from the same period last year.

China was the largest supplier, with shipments valued at nearly US$9.72 billion, up 25% year on year. Imports from this big market reached almost US$3.36 billion in March alone.

Other key suppliers included Japan, with nearly US$1.2 billion (down 2.3%), and Republic of Korea, with over US$1.15 billion (up 4.9%). Imports from ASEAN countries exceeded US$1 billion, rising 59.5%, while shipments from the EU generated US$862 million, up 19.3%. Imports from Taiwan (China) totalled US$407 million, an increase of 20%.

Machinery and equipment ranked as Vietnam’s second-largest import category, following computers, electronic products and components, which recorded nearly US$57 billion in import value as of mid-April.

The surge in machinery imports is largely driven by new investment projects and production expansion, particularly in the foreign-invested sector.

In 2025, total registered foreign direct investment (FDI) into Vietnam hit US$38.42 billion, up 0.5% year on year, marking the second-highest level on record. Notably, disbursed FDI rose 7.2% to a record US$25.35 billion, indicating strong investor commitment.

Rising machinery imports suggest that businesses are scaling up production, laying the groundwork for export growth in the coming quarters. Trade performance for the rest of the year is expected to remain positive as these investments begin to yield results.

Over 800 firms join int’l machinery - technology exhibition series in HCM City

VOV.VN - A series of international machinery and technology expos is underway in Ho Chi Minh City from November 27 to 29, attracting over 800 domestic and foreign enterprises from more than 15 countries around the world.