Vietnam is expected to export 2.3 million tonnes of steel in 2013, an increase of 30 percent against last year, said Director of Heavy Industry Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade Nguyen Manh Quan.

The export figure has shown efforts of domestic steel businesses in tapping foreign outlets amid protracted difficulties of local construction industry, and global economic upheavals, added Director Quan at a Vietnam Steel Association’s meeting in Hanoi on November 6.

Metal-plated and colour-coated iron sheet for export is forecast to post the highest increase of 62.8 percent while shaped and stainless steel products expected to gain 46 and 39 percent jump respectively.

Vietnam ’s steel industry is expected to produce 10 million tonnes of steel in 2013, 8.5 percent higher than those of 2012. Of the total, metal-plated steel production marked the highest increase with 36.61 percent.

The consumption of steel products (domestic production, import and export) in Vietnam in 2013 was estimated to be up 7.4 percent compared to 2012.-VNA