Workers of the Bỉm Sơn Cement Company move cement bags out of a production line for sales. — VNA/VNS Photo Anh Tuấn

KIS Vietnam Securities Corporation (KIS) forecasts total cement consumption in the third quarter of this year will be equivalent to the previous quarter, at 23.8 million tonnes, up 8 per cent over the same period last year.

For input materials, the recent sharp drop in input prices will benefit most cement producers.

Currently, KIS Vietnam believes that there is no significant unusual price increase in the third quarter for the world coke price. Therefore, the profit margin of the cement industry will improve in the third quarter of this year.

The company believes that the country's cement industry will continue to face challenges in the third quarter of the year as the rainy season slows down construction activities.

However, the El Nino phenomenon may increase the number of dry days in the coming months, which may help maintain cement consumption.

As for the export channel, the country's cement exports in the second quarter of this year reached 7.8 million tonnes and a turnover of US$347 million, up 27 per cent in volume and nearly 22 per cent in value over the same period last year.

However, export activities have slowed down compared to the first quarter of last year.

Notably, exports to the Chinese market in the second quarter of the year declined by 78 per cent year-to-year, to 0.3 million tonnes.

The export turnover to this market also dropped by 80.3 per cent. Currently, cement exporters are trying to find new markets in the context of weak demand from the largest export market of Vietnamese cement industry. — VNS