March 16 (Reuters) - Vietnam's VinFast reported

a widerfourth-quarter net loss on Monday, as the electric

vehicle maker spends heavily to expand its manufacturing

footprint to cater to growing demand in key Southeast Asian

markets.

The company reported a loss of 35.2 trillion dong ($1.34

billion) compared with a loss of 30.59 trillion dong a year ago.

($1 = 26,260.0000 dong)