Vietnam Manufacturing PMI Slows to 7-Month Low

The S&P Global Vietnam Manufacturing PMI fell to 50.5 in April 2026 from 51.2 in the previous month, marking the lowest reading since September 2025. Output extended its expansion for a twelfth consecutive month, but growth slowed to its slowest rate since June 2025. Moreover, new orders contracted for the first time in eight months, with new export sales falling more sharply as elevated transportation costs weighed on international sales. The subdued demand was largely attributed to intensifying inflationary pressures, driven by rising fuel and oil prices, persistent supply chain disruptions, and heightened market uncertainty linked to the Middle East conflict. Input prices rose at their fastest pace in fifteen years, while output costs quickened to its steepest rise since April 2011. Finally, sentiment slipped to a seven-month low and fell below the long-term average, as firms expressed growing concern over the economic fallout from geopolitical instability.

The S&P Global Vietnam Manufacturing PMI fell to 51.2 in March 2026 from 54.3 in February, indicating a softer but still positive improvement in operating conditions. Still, the latest figure marked the weakest expansion since last September, as growth in both output and new orders slowed noticeably. Rising costs began to weigh on demand, though some firms saw clients bringing forward purchases to avoid further price increases. A major development was the sharp rise in input costs, driven by higher oil prices linked to the war in the Middle East. This pushed selling prices up at the fastest pace in nearly 15 years, dampening demand and prompting firms to scale back purchasing activity, ending an eight-month expansion. Supplier delivery times also lengthened significantly due to transport delays, while employment declined for the first time in six months. Business confidence weakened to a six-month low, although firms still expect output to grow in the year ahead.

The S&P Global Vietnam Manufacturing PMI jumped to 54.3 in February 2026, picking up from a four-month low of 52.5 in January. It marked the highest reading since October 2025, as production accelerated to a more than 18-month high, and new orders expanded at their fastest pace since last October, supported by stronger customer demand and product preparation ahead of deliveries. The surge in output and new orders drove a strong rise in employment and purchasing, with staffing rising for the fifth consecutive month at the fastest pace since September 2022. On the price front, input costs rose at the fastest rate since June 2022 amid higher supplier charges and shipping costs, while output prices held steady at the 45-month high recorded in January. Finally, business confidence rose for the fifth consecutive month, reaching a 40-month high on the back of stronger market demand and expectations of continued new order growth.