Vietnamese cement exporters are starting to take significant market share in China as they succeed in undercutting domestic producers.

Imports of clinker surged by more than 150 per cent in the first four months of 2019 to 5.69Mt on the back of China's housing boom. These imports accounted for 1.4 per cent of China's clinker. The increase in imports has lowered the cost of cement by CNY40/t due to lower labour costs and excess capacity in the market.

Housing construction in China has increased by 13 per cent during January to April 2019, which is fuelling demand for imports. The demand has enabled the current price for clinker in China to remain at a five-year high of CNY440/t (US$63.7/t), reports China Knowledge.

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