Cement News tagged: International
CCP hosts session on the disclosure of material information on cement bags
On Thursday, 11 July, Pakistan’s Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) held a stakeholder engagement session regarding the ‘Manufacturing/Packaging' and 'Expiry/Best Before’ dates on cement bags. This session included representatives of the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) and domestic cement producers. Saeed ...
Brazilian cement market expands 2% in June
Cement sales in Brazil increased by 2.4 per cent to 5.372Mt in June 2024 from 5.248Mt in June 2023, according to the country's cement association, SNIC. Per working day, cement dispatches were up 4.6 per cent YoY to 238,800t. The increase follows a first semester affected by high interest rates and family debt as well as extreme weather events, including drought in the central-west and nort...
Ukrcement appeals to the government to amend electricity import rates
Ukraine's cement association, Ukrcement, has appealed to the government to amend the current electricity import rate of 80 per cent. Under the country’s martial law, cement producers are obliged to purchase at least 80 per cent of electricity at European prices from the EU to avoid supply restrictions. On 27 October 2023, CMU Resolution No 1127 guaranteed the supply of electricity for dome...
Iranian cement rebounds in May
Iranian cement sales rebounded in May to come in at 6.240Mt, up from 4.051Mt a month earlier and up 7.2 per cent YoY from 5.820Mt in May 2023, according to the Iranian cement association. Producers manufactured 6.575Mt of cement and 7.634Mt of clinker, increases of 3.2 per cent YoY and 4.6 per cent YoY respectively, when compared with May 2023. A total of 1.177Mt of cement and clinker were...
Swiss cement market contracts 8% in 2Q24
Cement deliveries in Switzerland declined eight per cent to 965,157t in the second quarter of 2024 from 1,049,481t in the 2Q23, according to cemsuisse. While market contraction has slowed in comparison with the previous year, the uncertain economic environment continues to impact on cement sales. In addition, supply chain issues and comparatively high energy prices are also affecting deliverie...
Nigerian House of Representatives threatens to issue arrest warrants for Dangote
A committee from Nigeria’s House of Representatives, investigating the hike in cement prices, has warned it will issue arrest warrants for Dangote Cement’s management after executives failed to honour an invitation. Chaired by Jonathan Gaza, the House Committee on Solid Minerals issued the threat on 9 July during a National Assembly hearing after the company failed to show up. Gaza stated that...
Post-budget 2025 impact on Pakistan's cement and steel industries
The Pakistan government passed the FY24-25 Budget in parliament on Friday, paving the way for the resumption of negotiations with the IMF for a new programme. Despite pushback from certain industries, the budget is expected to bring positive changes, particularly for export sectors (excluding services-based industries). While exporters of goods will be brought under the normal corporate tax re...
Kenyan cement demand drops 13% in 4M24
Cement consumption in Kenya fell 12.7 per cent YoY to 1,949,900t in the 4M24 from 2,234,200t in the 4M23, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS). The drop in cement consumption raises significant concerns about construction activity.“During the quarter under review, the construction sector registered a decelerated growth of 0.1 per cent, down from the 3.0 per cent growth ...
Morocco's cement market contracts 29% in June
Total cement deliveries by Asment Témara , Ciments de l’Atlas , Ciments du Maroc , LafargeHolcim Maroc and Novacim contracted by 29.1 per cent YoY to 746,158t in June 2024 from 1,052,975t in June 2023, according to Morocco's cement association, APC. The retail segment reduced its off-take by 30.2 per cent YoY to 426,077t in June 2024 from 610,167t while deliveries to the ready-mix conc...
Dalmia Bharat adds 1Mta of capacity at Kadapa
Dalmia Bharat Ltd has expanded the capacity of its integrated cement production facility at Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh by an additional 1Mta. The company announced on 4 July that the expanded capacity had begun production. The expansion, which required an investment of INR2.07bn (US$24.79m), will increase the total capacity of the Kadapa unit to 3.6Mta and the company’s total installed capa...
Continuing domestic weakness weighing on Pakistan cement
Total cement dispatches in Pakistan dropped 12.6 per cent YoY to 3.552Mt in June 2024 from 4.063Mt a year earlier, according to the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA). Local dispatches contracted 11.9 per cent YoY to 3.079Mt from 3.487Mt in June 2023. Exports also fell in June, declining 17.9 per cent YoY to 472,865t down from 576,309t a year earlier. North-south dispatc...
Italy cement output cools in April
Italian cement output has cooled in recent months. Output shrank two per cent YoY in April, adding to the 11 per cent YoY contraction reported in March, according to the latest data from Italian concrete association, Federbeton. This follows four consecutive months of expansion. In year-to-date terms, cement output rose one per cent YoY in the January-April period. Strong local government ...
Pakistan experienced a partial growth in cement dispatches in FY23-24
The cement industry in Pakistan experienced a minor growth in cement dispatches in FY23-24 due to significant export volume. However, the sector recorded a 12.6 per cent decline in cement dispatches to local and overseas markets in the last month of the FY23-24, with 3.55Mt dispatched compared to 4.06Mt in the same period of the previous fiscal year. Local cement dispatches were 3.08Mt in June...
Colombia’s cement shipments fall 11% in May
Cement dispatches in Colombia declined 10.9 per cent to 1.003Mt in May 2024 from 1.126Mt in May 2023, according to statistics agency DANE. Production was down 11.6 per cent YoY to 1.094Mt in May 2024 from 1.237Mt in the year-ago period. The market contraction was larger in the bagged cement segment, where sales were down 12 per cent. Bulk deliveries fell by 8.8 per cent YoY. In terms of mark...
Argentine cement market contracts 33% in June
Cement demand in Argentina fell 32.8 per cent YoY and seven per cent MoM to 725,661t in June 2024, according to the country’s cement association, AFCP. This includes 81t of imports. Domestic production dropped 32.8 per cent YoY and 7.4 per cent MoM to 727,405t in June 2024. Of this total, 1825t was exported, down from 28.9 per cent YoY 2568t in June 2023. First-half 2024 In the January-J...
Sri Lanka considering price control for cement
Sri Lanka’s Trade Minister Malin Fernando said the country was considering the introduction of price controls on cement. The step followed cement companies’ announcement that they would be reducing prices by LKR150 (US$0.50) to LKR2250/bag. Mr Fernando said: “I don’t accept this reducing the price by 150, I want the maximum retail price to be 2000-2500.” “We will announce a maximum retail p...