Vietnam Manufacturing Sector at 3-Month High

The S&P Global Vietnam Manufacturing PMI eased to 51.8 in June 2026 from a three-month high of 52.8 in May but remained above the 50 threshold, marking a twelfth consecutive month of improving business conditions. New orders rose for a second straight month, while export sales also expanded despite a slower pace of growth. Manufacturing output rose for a fourteenth consecutive month and accelerated to its fastest pace since February, prompting firms to increase purchasing activity for a second month. However, input inventories fell at the sharpest rate in a year as supply-chain disruptions and import challenges persisted, although supplier delivery delays eased to a four-month low. Input cost inflation slowed to its weakest since the start of the year, with output price inflation also easing to a six-month low. Employment declined for a fourth straight month, while business confidence strengthened to a four-month high, though optimism remained below pre-Middle East conflict levels.

The S&P Global Vietnam Manufacturing PMI jumped to 52.8 in May 2026, picking up from a seven-month low of 50.5 in the previous month. It marked the highest reading since February, mainly due to a renewed increase in new orders, which expanded at the fastest pace in three months as customers built precautionary inventories amid concerns over a prolonged conflict in the Middle East. The recovery in demand was accompanied by a thirteenth consecutive month of output growth, with production expanding at the quickest pace since February. Meanwhile, input cost inflation quickened to its highest level since April 2011, driven mainly by higher fuel, oil, and transportation expenses. In response, output price inflation was among the strongest seen in the past fifteen years, although the pace of increase eased slightly from April. Looking ahead, business confidence remained relatively subdued, as firms remained wary of the potential long-term repercussions of the conflict in the Middle East.

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.