Vietnam will have to import 3.15 million tons of fertilizers, 5-5.5 million tons of clinker, 13.3 million tons of petroleum products, over 2 million tons of steel billets and 914,500 tons of paper in 2007, the local newspaper Trade reported Thursday.

According to the daily, the Vietnamese Trade Ministry predicted that the total demand for fertilizers in 2007 is estimated at 7.85 million tons, including 1.8 million tons of urea, and domestic supplies are likely to stand at 4.7 million tons.

Next year, Vietnam will consume some 34.6-35.4 million tons of cement whose prices in the domestic market are expected to rise due to higher prices of main inputs for cement production such as electricity, coal and clinker. Meanwhile, prices of crude oil in the world market are estimated at 64.71 dollars per barrel, the ministry said.

Vietnam will produce 2.3 million tons of steel billets, and consume some 4 million tons of construction steel in 2007. Import prices of steel billets are estimated at 400-420 dollars per ton in the year.

The country is predicted to manufacture 1.13 million tons of paper of different kinds and import of 914,500 tons of the products in 2007, said the ministry.

Source: Xinhua