Vietnam sold 33.27Mt of cement in the first five months of this year, an increase of six per cent YoY, fulfilling 41.58 per cent of the whole-year target, the country's Ministry of Construction said.

The volume included 24.76Mt of domestic sales, up one per cent YoY, and 8.5Mt of exports, the ministry added.

However, local cement producers have encountered difficulties in promoting exports of their clinker and cement due to export duties. These have directly affected domestic cement production as local firms have been under pressure both in terms of price and supply in comparison with China, Thailand, Indonesia and Japan. According to Nguyen Quang Cung, chairman of the Vietnam Cement Association, the export tax was undermining the competitiveness of the cement industry. (Source: Vietnam News Brief Service)