Total domestic cement consumption during the first seven months of this year was 27.6Mt, down by three per cent against the same time last year and 50 per cent of the yearly target, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction.

In July alone, only 4.14Mt of cement were sold, 300,000t lower than the previous month. The downturn has been blamed on the gloomy real-estate market.

To better deal with cement stockpiles, cement producers have pushed exports. A total of 4.5Mt of clinker and cement were shipped abroad during the period.