VIETNAM DATA: Sept. clinker, cement exports fall 9.5% YOY to 2.9 mil mt

Vietnam exported 2.9 million mt of clinker and cement in September, down 9.5% year over year and 0.2% from August, according to customs data released Oct. 9. Vietnam Customs did not provide a breakdown of clinker and cement volumes.

Bangladesh remained the largest destination for Vietnamese clinker and cement exports during the month, receiving 504,966 metric tons, down 16.9% year over year. Other key markets included the Philippines at 256,350 mt, down 44.5% year over year, and Malaysia at 231,355 mt, up 28.9% from a year earlier.

For the January-September period, Vietnam's clinker and cement exports rose 7.6% year over year to 28.35 million mt. Bangladesh remained the leading export market at 2.93 million mt, although volumes declined 39.2% from the same period last year. Shipments to the Philippines fell 58.5% year over year to 1.99 million mt, while exports to Malaysia increased 27.8% to 1.52 million mt. Exports to Taiwan totaled 731,640 mt, down 25.8% year over year.

Meanwhile, cement and clinker producers in Vietnam and Indonesia have been raising selling prices in recent weeks. Several Asia-based market participants attributed the increases to higher coal procurement costs, alongside broader rises in manufacturing and logistics expenses. Sources said producers were seeking to offset mounting cost pressures, although the extent to which higher prices can be sustained will depend on demand conditions across key export markets.

Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed ASTM Type I cement FOB Vietnam at $39/mt on Oct. 8, up from $38.50/mt a week earlier. Platts also assessed clinker FOB Vietnam at $33.50/mt, up from $32.50/mt the previous week.