Vietnam to import cement

Vietnam to import cement

HANOI (AFP): Vietnam will import 1.5 million tones of cement and 1.6 million tones of clinker, or unprocessed cement, this year to meet domestic demand, an official said.

The country should produce a maximum of 7.3 million tones of cement this year but demand will be between 8.3 to 8.5 million tones, said a top ministry of construction executive.

The state-owned Cement Corp. would be granted a quota to import 800,000 tones of cement, he said.

In April-May 1995, there was a serious shortage of cement in Vietnam which provoked a sharp rise in prices.