Vietnam’s coal imports are forecast to rise to meet domestic production demand, according to a draft strategy for developing the coal industry in Vietnam recently introduced by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).

Once a big oil and coal exporter, Vietnam has become an importer of the materials in increasingly high quantities.

Vietnam has increasingly imported coal and crude oil during the social distancing period for thermal power plants.

The Viet Nam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) and the US-based Xcoal Group said the prospects for importing US coal were positive, the Dau Tu (Investment) newspaper has reported.

VietNamNet Bridge - At least 9 million tons of coal are in stock because domestic demand is low, while the coal price in Vietnam is higher than in other countries.

VietNamNet Bridge - The proposal by the Vietnam Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin), the biggest coal miner in the country, to reduce the natural resources tax has faced strong opposition.