Vietnam auto supporting industry: assembly up 25%, parts imported

On 11 November 2026, Bao Xay dung published an analysis of the "paradox" in Vietnam's automotive supporting industry: the market is growing fast, but the share of parts made locally remains thin. On the same day, October sales data from the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers' Association (VAMA) showed the market pausing after months of growth. This article summarizes the key figures and what they mean for truck body builders, parts makers and special-vehicle workshops.

Truck cargo body being fitted with aluminum sheet walls and tread plate floor

Truck bodies, floors and walls are highly localized parts where aluminum sheet replaces steel to save weight — AI-generated illustration

Assembly is up, parts imports are up faster

According to the General Statistics Office, as cited by Bao Xay dung, Vietnam produced and assembled more than 468,000 cars in the first ten months of 2026, up 25.1% year on year. Customs data cited in the same article show auto parts and components imports of US$5.66 billion in the first nine months, up 37.6%, mainly from China, South Korea, Japan and Thailand. In other words, plants are running harder, but most high-value parts are still bought abroad.

The Vietnam Institute of Strategy and Policy for Industry and Trade (VIOIT) estimates localization for vehicles under 9 seats at only about 12–20%, with many popular models at 7–15%. For trucks and buses the rate is about 40–45%, and for special-purpose vehicles about 50–70%. Vietnamese firms make around 300 types of parts such as seats, wiring, glass, tyres and engineering plastics, while engines, gearboxes, electronic controls and sensors are still imported. Local production costs are said to be about 10–20% higher than in the region.

Notably, the article mentions a domestic company supplying aluminum parts for VinFast cars and electric scooters, and Vingroup pledging to share 12–24 month production plans with local suppliers. This signals rising demand for metal components, including aluminum.

October paused, but the year is still up

According to VAMA, total sales by reporting companies in October 2026 reached 28,957 vehicles, down 17% from September and 24% from October 2025. Of these, 12,753 were assembled locally and 16,204 were fully imported. The ten-month total reached 310,986 vehicles. VinFast, which does not report through VAMA, delivered 22,896 electric cars in October and passed 200,000 units after ten months.

Note that the two data sources differ in scope: VAMA shows locally assembled vehicles from its reporting group down 2% over ten months, while the Statistics Office shows national assembly output up 25.1%. The gap is mainly because VAMA data exclude VinFast and Hyundai Thanh Cong. In addition, the breakdown by vehicle type published by some outlets does not add up to the 28,957 total, so this article does not use those figures. Commercial vehicles, which include trucks, were reported to have fallen more than the overall market in October.

What this means for automotive fabrication shops

The highest localization is in trucks, buses and special-purpose vehicles, meaning cargo bodies, floors, side walls, doors, tool boxes and structural parts. This is the work of local automotive fabrication shops, and also where aluminum sheet replaces steel to cut weight and prevent rust.

Walls and doors of box and refrigerated bodies: usually 5052 aluminum sheet, for its corrosion resistance and higher strength than pure aluminum grades; common thickness is 1.5–3 mm, see also 2 mm aluminum sheet.

Body floors and steps: aluminum tread plate to prevent slipping during loading.

Inner liners and shallow-drawn parts: 1050 or 3003 aluminum, easy to bend and stamp and cheaper than 5052.

October's pause is a good time to review material lists for first-quarter 2027 orders: fix the grade, thickness and sheet size for each part so it can be ordered in one go, rather than buying many grades piecemeal when the market picks up again. A common mistake is using 1050 for load-bearing walls because it is cheaper; after a while the panels dent and must be replaced. Weekly reference prices are available in the weekly aluminum sheet price table.