[Vietnam terminates Thach Khe iron ore project, shelving major upstream development]
Vietnam’s Ha Tinh Province has officially terminated the Thach Khe iron ore mining project and revoked the project’s investment certificate, according to media reports. The project had been suspended for several years and was operated by Thach Khe Iron Joint Stock Company. Located in Ha Tinh Province, the mine has reserves of around 544 million tonnes and is considered one of the largest iron ore mines in Southeast Asia. Local authorities have assigned relevant departments to handle follow-up matters related to land, finance, assets and other obligations. The termination suggests Vietnam is unlikely to improve domestic iron ore supply through this major project in the near term, limiting local raw material self-sufficiency.