Cement News tagged: International
South Korean investors looking at DRC limestone deposit
A group of South Korean investors visited the Bakwa Tshiluila limestone deposit in Kasai Oriental province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Their mission was to carry out feasibility studies in cement production, diamond mining and agriculture. Investors were interested in the quality of limestone but reportedly voiced concern over the power supply to the area.
Packaging costs rise 117% in Iran
The price of cement packaging in Iran has increased by 117 per cent from late-2017, according to Mohammad Ali Bod, member of the Iranian Cement Industry Employers' Association. The cost of packaging for a 50kg cement bag has risen from IRR8500 (US$0.2) to IRR18,500, with the surge negatively impacting producers. “Some plants will have to stop operating if the country doesn’t take necessary s...
New cement plant for Jamaica?
Haiti-based Gilbert Bigio Group (GB) reportedly plans to build a cement plant in Jamaica to consolidate its footprint in the country, according to CPI Financial. At present it imports cement from its Domicem plant in the Dominican Republic and sells it via its Jamaican subsidiary Buying House. Mauricio Pulido, GB Energy Jamaica country head, suggested that the Jamaica venture, for which a lo...
Senegal cement price rises cut short
Senegal’s Minister of Commerce, the Informal Sector, Consumption and SMEs, Alioune Sarr, has frozen the ceiling for cement prices to their previous levels, according to a press release by the ministry. "As a result, all cement plants located in Senegal are invited to comply with the new regulatory provisions pending the results of evaluations provided by its services. In any case, the servic...
Belarusian cement exports to be sold through commodity exchange
From 1 January 2019, approximately 200,000tpa or 10 per cent of Belarus’ total cement exports will be available to purchase from the Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange (BUCE), according to Roman Yaniv, press secretary of BUCE. Selling cement through this arrangement means that the country will be able to diversify target markets. Vladimir Kiselev, director general, Belarusian Cement Co,...
Al Jouf Cement to supply Palestinian market
Al Jouf Cement of Saudi Arabia has signed an agreement with Palestine-based Sanad Trading and Marketing to export 50,000t of cement and clinker annually. Al Jouf made the announcement in a bourse staement on Thursday and said the finanical deal will show in mid-4Q18. Sanad is the largest distributor of cement in Palestine and meets 65 per cent of cement demand.
New cement plant for Lesotho
Lesotho's Lephema Executive Group and Lafarge have launched a new plant, Maloti Mountain Cement, in Lesotho. Speaking at the inauguration launch, the founder of Lephema Executive Group, Lebona Lephema, said the establishment of the cement plant is a 'dream come true' after years of travelling all over South Africa to find a partner among the country’s cement producers. He said his passion...
Cement prices in central India rise
While cement prices across India declined MoM to INR326 (US$4.44)/50kg bag in October from INR328/bag, they significantly increased by INR3/bag in central India as local demand performed better when compared with other regions. Prices increased by INR5-10/bag in Lucknow, Meerut and Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh and remained steady in a few places such as Bhopal. Better demand conditions are supp...
Bruno Pillon becomes president of Cimbéton
Cimbéton has appointed Bruno Pillon, sales and marketing director of Calcia, as its new president. He succeeds Grégoire Douillet, commercial director of the Vicat group, and will be responsible for defining the strategy of the information centre on cement and its concrete applications. "In the continuity of my predecessor, my ambition is to share, know and recognise all the qualities of co...
Global cement industry gathers at Cemtech Europe 2018
More than 200 delegates of the global cement industry gathered for Cemtech Europe 2018, which is being held at the Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus, Turkey, from 14-17 October. International Cement Review's Managing Director, Thomas Armstrong, inaugurated the conference by noting the declining worldwide utilisation rate for cement capacity. Mr Armstrong observed how new technologies are expected t...
Cement consumption in Morocco up 20% in September
Cement sales in Morocco increased by 20.1 per cent YoY to 1.043Mt in September 2018 from 0.688Mt in September 2017, according to data from the Ministry of Urbanisation and Housing. In the first nine months of 2018, cement demand has fallen 2.7 per cent YoY to 9.799Mt from 10.07Mt in 9M17. The highest decline in the nine-month period was witnessed in the Fès-Meknes market, where sales fell 11...
High expenses deter industry from investing in Himachal Pradesh
Multiple taxations and high freight charges are some of the reasons that deter the cement industry from investing in Himachal Pradesh, India. State-level taxes include a certain goods carried by road tax levied at INR150/t (US$2/t) of cement up to 250km, and an additional goods tax of INR26/t of limestone and fly ash. The transportation cost in the state is the highest in Asia at INR9.7/km/t...
Oficemen downgrades growth forecast
Cement producers have reduced their growth forecast for 2018 from 12 per cent to seven per cent, according to Oficemen, Spain’s cement association. They attribute the lower growth rate to the economic slowdown and “paralysis” that governs the execution of public work. The extra demand generated by new housing is unable to offset the lower civil works activity, which accounts for the majority...
July cement shipments advance 9% in USA and Puerto Rico
Total shipments of Portland and blended cement in the USA and Puerto Rico in July increased by 9.4 per cent YoY to 9.3Mt, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Deliveries for the first seven months of 2017 rose by 3.8 per cent to 55.2Mt. The leading consuming states for Portland and blended cement in July 2018 were Texas, California, Florida, Ohio and Illinois, which received around...
Cement prices rise 25% in Uzbekistan
Cement prices in Uzbekistan have risen 24.7 per cent YoY in the first nine months of 2018, alongside an overall increase of 18.4 per cent in the price of building materials. Meanwhile, a decline in cement production within the country has been attributed to a price hike of around 60 per cent for gas and electricity for the construction industry.
APCMA reports cement dispatches bounce back in September
The All Pakistan Cement Manufacturer Association (APCMA) reports that domestic cement dispatch for September 2018 bounced back after two months of lacklustre growth, registering a double-digit increase compared with the same month of last year. The Pakistan cement industry dispatched 3.806Mt of cement in September 2018 against 3.201Mt in same month last year, a growth of 18.9 per cent YoY. ...