Cement News tagged: International
Eastern China prices beat expectations
Cement prices in eastern China have increased during July, beating analysts expectations for some parts of the region. Prices continued rising and rebounds in Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi and Guizhou were far beyond market expectation. Last week (5-9 August 2013), the average cement price in China increased 0.85 per cent from the previous week, according to data from the Digital Cement. Pric...
Indonesian producers increase exports
Cement exports from Indonesia increased in July as domestic demand slows and new capacity comes on-stream. Cement exports increased by more than 10 times to 95,000t in July from the same month last year, cement maker Semen Indonesia reported, citing data from the Indonesian Cement Association (ASI). With new plants coming on-stream, producers have been able to ship their products abroad. ...
Lafarge Malaysia to open R&D laboratory
Lafarge Malaysia Bhd plans to set up a research and development laboratory to provide solutions to Malaysia’s construction industry and anticipated housing requirements. Bradley Mulroney, President and CEO of the company said Malaysia faced its biggest challenge in offering an affordable prices for housing units, especially in the urban areas. "With most population dominating the urban areas...
Najran Cement resumes operations of Kiln Line 1, Saudi Arabia
Saudi-based cement producer Najran Cement has resumed operations at Line No 1 following the successful completion of maintenance. The production line was closed for scheduled maintenance on July 8. Najran Cement had said that the shutdown would cost SAR5m (US$1.3m). In late June, the company announced it was ready for trial operations at its third production line with a capacity of 6500tpd...
Brazil's monthly cement sales up 4.4%
Brazilian cement sales in during July increased by 4.4 per cent YoY to 6.2Mt, latest data from Sindicato Nacional da Indústria do Cimento shows. During the January-July 2013 period, local sales edged ahead on the same period of last year by two per cent to reach 39.9Mt. For the rolling 12 months between August 2012 to July 2013, sales were 69.2Mt, a 2.9 per cent advance on the corresponding ...
Star Cement exports clinker to Bangladesh via river route
India-based Star Cement said it has dispatched its first barge of clinker to Bangladesh via river. The company is aiming to export over 50,000t of clinker to Bangladesh every month using the riverine route, the Meghalaya Times reported its President (Sales & Marketing), Jyoti Swaroop Agarwal, as saying. In a pilot project Star Cement had started clinker export to Bangladesh last year by road ...
Bolivia's producers optimistic on buoyant market
In the past three years, Bolivian cement demand has increased between 9-10 per cent annually, according to the Bolivian Institute of Cement and Concrete (IBCH). The organisation also expects this growth rate to continue over the next two years. "Low interest rates and the availability of money in the economy certainly have boosted residential construction of all types," said Marcelo Alfaro,...
Zambia prices reach record level
Cement prices in Zambia's capital, Lusaka, have increased for the third time in a month to reach record levels. Prices are currently ZMW85,000 (US$15.60), the highest ever seen on the Zambian market. Since fuel prices were increased over a month ago, cement prices have risen three times and are showing no signs of abating. Distributors across the city of Lusaka have said that the incre...
Ramco eyes Myanmar plant construction
India-based Ramco is planning to set up a cement factory in Myanmar. “Our company has been jointly working with Agro Coro International Pte Ltd to import cements from Ramco for six months. We are now in discussions with respective officials to establish the factory,” a source told local press. Interest in Myamnar’s cement industry has been increasing as the country opens up to the world after...
Cemex launches new cement product in Mexico
Cemex in Mexico has introduced a new product to the market, EXTRA cement, the result of almost three years of research and development. EXTRA cement is especially designed at the molecular level to reduce cracking due to plastic contraction by up to 80 per cent during the curing periods for concrete and mortars. It also creates a more manageable mix with better integration and cohesion, ...
Two Vietnam plant licences revoked
Cement plant licences for two projects being set up in the central Vietnam province of Nghe An have been revoked due to slow implementations. The two projects are the 5Mta Tan Ky cement plant in Tan Ky district, and the 0.43Mta Hop Son works in Anh Son district, the Thoi Bao Kinh Te Vietnam newspaper reported. The Tan Ky cement plant, a project by Kinh Bac City Development Share Holding Corp...
New Tajikistan-China joint venture set for commissioning
A joint Tajikistan and Chinese enterprise is to start commissioning of its 1Mta cement plant at the end of this month, a spokesperson for the Tajikistan's Ministry of Energy and Industry (MoEI) has said. The joint venture, called Huaxin Ghayur Cement, has been constructed in the Yovon district, Khatlon province, Tajikistan. “The construction of the plant has practically been completed and it...
US shipments ahead in first five months
Total shipments of Portland and blended cement in the United States and Puerto Rico in May 2013 were about 7.77Mt, up by nearly three per cent YoY, according to the latest statistics from the US Geological Survey (USGS). Shipments for the year were also up slightly to 29.7Mt, the data shows. The leading Portland cement-producing states in May were Texas, California, Missouri, Florida and Mic...
Poland's monthly output edges ahead
Poland's cement production totalled 1.733 Mt in July 2013, up by 2.2 per cent YoY, according to the latest data from the country's cement association. Cement sales, meanwhile, stood at 1.838Mt, marking an increase of 6.6 per cent YoY. However, for the first seven months of 2013, cement output declined by 17.5 per cent to 7.515Mt, while sales dropped by 16.7 per cent to 7.679Mt. Constructio...
GICA price rise causes concern, Algeria
The recent decision of Algeria’s state-owned GICA to raise cement prices by 20 per cent from ALD320 to ALD380 (US$4-4.70) has caused concern among business leaders. It is feared the rise will push up the cost of constructing houses and infrastructure. The increase in cement prices is expected to further weaken construction companies operating in a highly-competitive market where operators o...
Pakistan July dispatches decline
Pakistan reported a decline in dispatches for the first month of fiscal FY13-14 as the pace of construction slowed due to monsoon rains and Ramadan. During July 2013 (the first month of FY13-14), local cement sales fell 10.43 per cent YoY to 1.846Mt compared to 2.060Mt in July 2012. Exports were down by 0.75 per cent last month to 0.749Mt against 0.755Mt in July the year before. Interna...