VNCC has committed to keep the prices stable in November and December, at VND720,000-760,000/tonne in the North and 840,000-940,000 in the South. But producers will be hard put to keep the commitments, as they now face increased input prices VNCC has also said it cannot guarantee prices in 2006. World demand, forecast to rise in the Middle East and North America, is expected to raise prices by at least 4-8 per cent, which also means higher imported clinker prices. VNCC said that once the clinker prices go higher, it would put pressure on cement production, as Vietnam’s producers still do not have to import a large quantity of clinker for their production. In the first ten months of the year, 23.4Mt of cement was consumed in vietnam, equal to 80 per cent of the yearly plan, of which VNCC and other joint ventures producers have marketed 18Mt, amounting to 78 per cent of the market share.