The cement industry projects to manufacture 32.5Mt of cement this year, 3.5Mt more than in 2005, to cope with anticipated increases in demand, the Ministry of Construction said.   The country’s largest cement producer, the Vietnam Cement Corporation, projects to produce 13.3Mt, while foreign-invested firms target production of 10Mt and private domestic producers, 9.2Mt.  
 
The sector will import 5Mt of clinker, a major input material for cement production, an increase of 800,000t of over last year, the construction ministry said. 
 
Cement prices in Vietnam now stand at VND720,000-VND760,000 (around US$50) per tonne in the north and VND840,000-VND940,000 (around US$60) in the south.
 
Vietnam’s annual cement demand, which now stands at over 30Mt, has grown at an average 10-12 per cent per year and is forecast to reach 48Mt by 2010. According to the Ministry of Construction, Vietnam’s cement industry produced and sold 29Mt of cement last year, an increase of 12 per cent over 2004.
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