Vietnam shipped abroad over 26.7 million tons of coal worth 829 million U.S. dollars in the first 11 months of this year, posting respective year-on-year surges of 67.9 percent and 39.9 percent, according to a local trade agency Friday.

The country plans to increase export tax on coal to 3 percent from current zero percent, aiming to ensure sufficient supply of the material for domestic industries, mainly electricity, paper, fertilizer and cement, said the Trade Information Center under the Trade Ministry.

Vietnam has planned to ship abroad some 20 million tons of coal of different kinds next year. Coal items either with high export value and limited domestic demand or with abundant sources will be exported mainly to China, Japan, South Korea and Europe in 2007.

Recently, the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment has asked the government to reduce coal exports in the 2006-2010 period.

Last year, Vietnam exported roughly 17.9 million tons of coal valued at 658 million dollars to over 20 countries and regions, including China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, India, Brazil and the European Union, respectively, up 53.8 percent and 85.2 percent, according to the country's General Statistics Office.

Source: Xinhua