According to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) distributors, the price of a 12-kilogram cylinder rose by about VND30,000 (US$1.14) to VND504,400 (US$19.2) per cylinder.
Prices for other sizes also increased, including VND15,000 (US$0.57) for 6-kilogram cylinders, VND50,000 (US$1.9) for 20-kilogram cylinders, and more than VND112,000 (US$4.3) for 45-kilogram cylinders.
Earlier, gas prices were adjusted upward on March 1 and again on March 6.
Since the beginning of March, the price of a 12-kilogram cylinder has increased by about VND40,000 (US$1.52), and by around VND75,000 (US$2.9) compared with early February.
At a recent working session with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade, Mr. Tran Anh Dung, Deputy General Director of Gas South, said that the company currently has about 1,601 tons of gas in stock across four depots, out of a total storage capacity of 8,100 tons. Imported gas is being filled into cylinders and distributed to agents and customers as soon as it arrives.
Gas South estimates demand in Ho Chi Minh City and nearby areas at about 4,500 tons in March, while the current supply meets only 75–80 percent of demand. Meanwhile, major suppliers such as Hyosung Vina and PVGas Trading have yet to finalize import delivery plans for April and May.
Facing supply difficulties, some gas distributors have proposed a temporary solution of reducing refill volumes, such as filling 12-kilogram cylinders as 6- kilogram or 45- kilogram cylinders as 22- kilogram.
Businesses said that the measure is temporary as they call on authorities to work with importers to stabilize supply and curb price pressures.
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