Cement News tagged: International
Vietnam: cement and clinker sales reach 38.7Mt in 1H16
Vietnam's Building Material Department, under the Ministry of Construction, reports that cement producers in the country sold 38.7Mt of cement and clinker in the first half of this year, rising 12.4 per cent from a year earlier. Therefore, the industry has met 51.01 per cent of its whole-year target. The Ministry of Construction forecasts that Vietnam's sales of cement and clinker will r...
Safety award for Hanson Cement
Hanson UK, part of the HeidelbergCement Group, has been awarded a Tanker Safety Award at the 2016 Tip-ex and Tank-ex awards, recognising the company’s dedicated approach to vehicle safety. The award is given for improving safety in a particular area of tanker operations and in this case was awarded for the development of an integrated emergency shutdown system. Hanson’s ‘Run Lock’ system...
Spain: consumption decreases 2.3% in 1H16
Cement sales in Spain slipped by 0.9 per cent to 1,048,116t while for 1H16 they fell 2.3 per cent to 5,525,720t. The continued fall in demand is attributed to the lack of construction in the infrastructure sector with the key housing sector unable to offset the decrease. "The virtual paralysis of public works has been a setback in our forecasts for the end of the year," says Jaime Ruiz de H...
Argentina: domestic demand down 19% in June 2016
Argentina’s cement demand contracted 18.8 per cent YoY in June 2016 to 857,525t from 1,055,434t in June 2015 and by 2.7 per cent MoM from 881,663t in May 2016, according to data from domestic cement association, AFCP. The country’s cement producers also found no relief in exports as these fell by 0.9 per cent YoY from 4976t to 5020t in June 2016 and by 35.3 per cent MoM from 7758t in May 20...
Nigeria: cement prices increase
According to The Guardian Nigeria market research, there has been a fluctuating increase in cement prices since May 2016. Previously prices had been reduced by Dangote Cement Plc, the leading producer of cement in the country, with prices dropping from approximately NGN2000 (US$7.08) to NGN1000-1400 (US$3.54-4.96) per 50kg bag. However, bags of cement sell now at up to NGN2000 across all brand...
Vietnam offers support for state-owned cement firms
According to figures released by the Ministry of Finance, the Vietnamese government is providing restructuring loans to unprofitable state-owned cement firms, VietNamNet Bridge reports. Firms, including Song Thao, Thai Nguyen and Ha Long, are being supplied with cash in an effort to prepare the cement sector for part-privatisation. Already, some plants have been transferred to Vicem from ot...
Saudi Arabia: export ban lifted
The Saudi Arabian government has decided to lift the export ban on cement, which was imposed in 2008 to push down prices and accommodate the demand generated by government-funded infrastructure projects. Once the ban has been lifted potential export destinations will include Qatar, Yemen, Jordan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, east Africa and the UAE. This decision to remove the export ban may help ...
0.5Mta CIMAF Gabon plant inaugurated
Gabon President, Ali Bongo Ondimba, formally inaugurated the new Cements de l’Afrique (CIMAF) cement plant in Owendo, Gabon, in the presence of the country’s Prime Minister and other dignitaries. "This is another testimony of the achievements that we see accomplished in the industrial Gabon. And we are happy that the inauguration today be in the company of our Moroccan brothers who took it u...
India: Sagar production rates fall
Sagar Cements’ reported production and sales figures for June 2016 are down when compared to the figures from June 2015. Cement production stood at 130,035t in June 2016, a one per cent drop from the 130,905t reported in June 2015. Sales figures for the month stood at 123,409t, down 20 per cent from 154,032t reported in the same month the previous year. For the period April-June 2016, produ...
Cement imports suspended in RDC
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has suspended grey cement imports for three months, reports local news source Radio Okapi. Modest Bahai, the country’s economics minister, said the decision had been taken due to the influx of illegal cement imports, which cost the country around US$8m and threatened the domestic cement industry. He also gave assurances that the import ban...
Sri Lanka: Holcim exit causes tension with China and India
The possible takeover of Holcim Lanka Ltd by China Resources Cement Holdings Ltd, a subsidiary of the state-owned China Resources Group, is expected to cause tension with India as the world's largest cement-producing country extends its influence on the island. With strong current positions in the Colombo and Hambantota harbours, this deal would also give China a presence in Galle and Trinc...
India: UltraTech wins two coal mines in auction
UltraTech Cement, one of the largest cement manufacturers in India, has secured two coal linkages for its cement plants in Maharashtra. The company had participated in the auction of coal linkages for cement sector and won Penganga OC mines and Mana Incline mine in the State. The company has won the Penganga OC mine for a basic floor price of INR1510/t (US$22.4/t) and a premium of INR20/t ...
Paraguay: INC expects price fall in 1Q17
Paraguay’s Industria Nacional del Cemento (INC) forecasts a fall in cement prices at the start of 2017 as the cement producer brings online its new cement mill and the fuel conversion of the kiln is completed. An improved quality, quantity and lower production cost will be the benefits of the recent upgrade of the company’s cement works, says Jorge Méndez Cuevas, CEO of INC. The completion o...
Vietnam: consolidation unavoidable
Analysts may ponder whether cement production in Vietnam is entering a crucial phase as this week the Ministry of Construction announced that it would be divesting a large stake in the Vicem cement group with a public offering in the 4Q16. Cement oversupply in the market is increasing while exports have been difficult and as cement prices come under pressure, consolidation appears now unavoid...
Swiss deliveries up 7% YoY
Domestic cement deliveries in Switzerland increased seven per cent in 2Q16 when compared with the previous year. In April-June 2016 dispatches reached 1.25Mt, according to the latest figures published by Cemsuisse, the Swiss cement association. In the year to date, Swiss sales advanced seven per cent to 2.124Mt when compared with the first six months of 2015.
Bolivia: Itacamba’s highest production figures
Bolivian cement producer Itacamba Cemento has reported its highest ever production figure of cement, reaching 20,006t in June 2016 and breaking its previous record of 18,764.65t reported in August 2007. The firm intends to begin production at its Yacuses plant towards in the second half of 2016. Clinker production at the plant should begin in November and cement production in December.