Vietnam's sales of cement and clinker are predicted to rise by 4-7 per cent next year to between 71-73Mt, according to estimates by the country’s Ministry of Construction (MoC).

Of the total, domestic sales are expected to reach 52-53Mt while exports are anticipated to amount to 19-20Mt during the year, state media cited the ministry as saying last week.

Vietnam currently has 74 cement production lines with a combined output of 77Mta. This year, four cement plants with a total capacity of 7.5Mta are scheduled to come on-stream: Cong Thanh, Dong Lam, Thach My and Trung Son. Once operational, these plants will lift the country’s total cement output to 81Mta in 2015, the ministry said.

In the first 10 months of this year, the Southeast Asian country produced 56.54Mt of cement and clinker, meeting 88.2 per cent of the industry’s annual target. Of the total, 41.54Mt were sold domestically and 15Mt were exported, fulfilling 86 and 100 per cent of the full-year target, respectively, the MoC added.