Vietnam?s cement sales slipped to 5.15 MT in July, but prices remained stable, according to the country?s Ministry of Construction. Exports stood at 1.1 MT. The country has 76 cement production lines and an output of 81.56 MTPA. An additional 6 MTPA in two plants will be commissioned in October. However, domestic producers face stiff competition from foreign cement producers, particularly China and Thailand. In the first seven months of this year, Vietnam?s cement sales reached 45.02 MT. Around 35.52 MT was sold in the domestic market, up 14 per cent year-on-year, while 9.5 MT of cement and clinker were exported, 1.6 per cent less than in Jan-Jul 2015. The country?s Ministry of Construction forecasts that cement and clinker sales will increase between 4-7 per cent to 75-77 MT in 2016, despite the continued challenging economic climate.