A float glass factory, thought to be the largest of its kind in S E Asia, is now in operation in Vietnam's central province of Quang Nam. The Chu Lai Float Glass Joint Stock Company's factory, which cost a reported US$100M, has a capacity of 900/tpd. The company plans to export 30% of output and supply the remainder to the domestic market. In late 2009, the Ministry of Industry & Trade's Competition Administration Agency said that increasing reliance on imported float glass was damaging the domestic industry. Earlier, domestic producers Viglacera and the Vietnam Float Glass Co, called on the Ministry to limit imports of float glass, which had increased from 1.2M sq/m to 8.1M sq/m between 2007-8. In the first quarter of 2009, that figure reached 1.35M sq/m. Market share of locally produced glass dropped from 97.4% in 2006 to 83.5% in 2007 and 73.6% in 2008.
