Vietnam’s largest cement exporter Vissai Cement has joined The World Cement Association, adding to the organisation's network which covers 26 countries.

“We are delighted that with Vissai Cement, we are welcoming a new member from an exciting country to our international community,” said Norman Greig, Secretary General of the World Cement Association. “A lot is happening in the Vietnamese cement industry right now, and Vissai’s fast-growing, diversified and international operations make them a valuable partner to work with.”

Operating in a growing market, Vissai Cement is expected to further expand its operations from a current output of 13.6Mt from four plants. The group will especially benefit from the forthcoming opening of an international port in central northern Vietnam that will allow loading of Panamax-sized vessels faster and more efficiently.

In under a decade, the Vietnamese cement industry has transformed from a cement-importer to the world’s second-largest exporter with 17.5Mt of cement exports in 2016 and is expected to overtake China in the next few years by further improving logistics and increasing capacity.

This transformation is driven by strong domestic demand as the Vietnamese economy has seen annual growth of between 5.2-6.7 per cent during the last five years. Going forward, demand is expected to receive a further boost on the back of increasing urbanisation and as the country's government announces new infrastructure investments.