Cement consumption in the country posted a 30 percent year-on-year rise in January 2015, reaching 5.87 million tonnes.

The latest figures from the Department of Building Materials under theMinistry of Construction showed that local cement consumption in thefirst month of the year was higher than those in the previous month andin the same period last year.

Specifically, the consumption was4.37 million tonnes, which is 6 percent and 47 percent higher than lastDecember and January, respectively.

Of the total, the VietnamCement Industry Corporation (VICEM) sold 1.41 million tonnes of cementin local markets, 46 percent higher than its sales in the correspondingperiod last year.

In addition, the amount of cement exported was estimated at 1.5 million tonnes.

The department said that the selling price of cement last month wasmore stable than its price last year, thanks to the balance in supplyand demand of cement production and consumption.

By the end of last month, the cement inventory was 2.69 million tonnes, primarily comprising clinker.

Furthermore, the ministry predicted that cement consumption in 2015would reach 71 to 73 million tonnes, which would be a 4 to 7 percentrise from that in 2014. Of this total, local consumption is expected tobe 52 to 53 million tonnes and exports will reach 21 to 22 milliontonnes.

Director of the Department of Building Materials, LeVan Toi, noted that as Vietnamese producers have been part of the cementexport market for four years, they have experience in marketexploration and contract negotiation.

Chairman of the VietnamCement Association, Nguyen Quang Cung, agreed with this view, addingthat most cement manufacturers in the world target foreign marketsbecause exports can help balance supply and demand.

Cung alsopointed out that local cement businesses made significant investments inmodern production lines, branding Vietnam as a major cement exporteramong countries in Southeast Asia.

Moreover, the cement sector should adopt proper methods to promote its export by 2025-30.

Several private cement producers have seen positive results in their exports.

Chairman of the Vissai Cement Group in northern Ninh Binh province,Hoang Manh Truong, affirmed that they had been active in theirproduction and consumption activities, adding that the company's cementexports were equivalent to domestic consumption.

Truong alsoremarked that the group had signed an export contract of 1.2 milliontonnes of clinker with Bangladesh, which brought its market count to 20countries and territories. These include Germany, Mozambique, Congo,Indonesia, China, Hong Kong, France, Australia and the United States.-VNA