Cement News tagged: International
Saudi Arabia cement sales fall 11% in 1Q18
Saudi Arabia's total cement sales for 1Q18 stood at 11.8Mt, down 11 per cent YoY and one per cent QoQ. The combination of weak demand and high inventory levels forced the companies to seek other solutions such as entering other regions within the kingdom as well as exporting with low selling prices. Yanbu Cement’s low cash cost per tonne gives the company the ability to export at lower price...
Mexican cement output growth to slow to below 3%
The cement sector is expected to grow by 2.5 per cent YoY in 2018 as public and private infrastructure investments are postponed for the electoral year, according to the President of the National Chamber of Cement (CANACEM), Mauricio Doehner. "It's a year in which there is some uncertainty and people, as they say colloquially, it pays to wait. There are investments that are being put on hold...
Decision to fine six Polish cement companies upheld
After nine years, the decision of the Polish Office for Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) to fine six manufacturers for alleged collusion has been supported by a court of appeal. The total fine, PLN411m (US$121.33m), has been reduced to PLN280m following the appeal, according to PNB. Amongst the fined companies are Grupo Ozarow (PLN92.5m), Cemex Polska (PLN69.4m), Gorazdze Cement (...
Polish cement market to grow 6-7% in 2018
Cement demand in Poland is expected to grow by 6-7 per cent in 2018. This would bring domestic demand to 18Mt, according to the Association of Cement Producers (SPC). SPC estimates show that in 2017 domestic consumption reached 17Mt, up seven per cent YoY. After a poor first quarter, construction picked up in April and the housing market showed positive growth. Road and rail construction sa...
Sinoma Engineering joins the WCA
Sinoma Engineering has joined the World Cement Association. "We are delighted that Sinoma Engineering is joining the WCA as we are eager to work with all stakeholders in the industry, not just cement producers alone," said Norman Greig, Secretary General of the World Cement Association. "The insights Sinoma Engineering will be able to share with our diverse membership will offer a different ...
Landed petcoke prices could increase by 6% in India
In India the landed cost of petcoke could increase by 5.6 per cent as a result of the import duty hike, reports Nirmal Bang Institutional Equities. The import duty on the fuel was raised in December 2017, increasing from 2.5 to 10 per cent. The price of petcoke imported from the US reached a multi-year high of US$117/t in March 2018 and is expected to rise further. The increased prices m...
Ugandan cement producers given three weeks to lower prices
Uganda's Government, through the Ministry of Trade and Cooperatives, has vowed to allow cheap imported cement into the country if local cement manufacturers do not lower prices. Trade minister, Amelia Kyambadde, says the manufacturers in Uganda have three weeks to lower the prices. "We have given them an opportunity until May. If by May the prices have not gone down......but even May is ver...
Moroccan cement market contracts 15% in March
Moroccan cement demand declined 15.1 per cent YoY in March 2018 to 1,124,152t from 1,324,221t in the third month of 2017, according to the latest data from the country's Ministry of Housing and Urbanisation. The Casablanca-Settat market, the largest in the country, saw its requirement in March decrease by 19.1 per cent YoY to 236,503. However, dispatches to the Marrakech-Safi area saw a 7.9 ...
Iranian cement facilities produced 49.7Mt in the 11MFY17-18
Iranian facilities produced 49.697Mt of cement during the first 11 months of the last fiscal year (20 March 2017-20 February 2018), falling 1.8 per cent YoY. The latest statistics show that exports of the country’s minerals and mineral industry products has increased in value but dropped in volume, according to Trend News Agency. Exports of the products reached US$8.396bn over the 11MFY17-1...
Indian cement industry may post flat growth in FY19
The Indian cement industry is expected to post a flat growth of approximately five per cent in FY19, despite an increase in demand and a positive outlook, according to an ICRA report. The profitability margins and debt metrics of cement companies could be negatively impacted by higher petcoke, coal and diesel prices. "The cement demand has picked up from 3QFY18 and the trend is expected to ...
Dominican cement sales down 4%, exports fall 5%
Dominican cement producers saw a 3.7 per cent fall in domestic sales and a five per cent decline in exports in the January-February 2018 period, according to the President of the Dominican Association of Cement Producers (Adocem), Rayza J Rodriguez. Ms Rodriguez attributed the contraction in the domestic market to periods of unusual rains. In addition, she highlighted the industry’s comm...
Diamond Cement Ghana to work with government on Keta Port
The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Diamond Cement Ghana Ltd, to build a port at Keta, Volta region, Ghana. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's New Patriotic Party (NPP) government guaranteed that it would build a port as part of its manifesto and site preparations will start in June.
Swiss 1Q cement sales fall 2% YoY
Domestic deliveries in Switzerland declined by 2.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2018, according to the country’s cement association, Cemsuisse. Volumes decreased from 853,180t in 1Q17 to 834,252t in 1Q18 as cold weather in March extended the winter period and fewer working days affected cement demand.
Shortage of cement could continue in Rwanda
A shortage of cement at distribution points is expected to continue in Rwanda, while retail prices will remain high until regional manufacturers resume production at the end of April 2018, according to The East African. However, a prolonged cement shortage is a distinct possibility as domestic manufacturers claim large infrastructure and real estate projects will place pressure on their cap...
Pakistan's State Bank acknowledges cement growth
Pakistan's State Bank has confirmed that cement industry is performing well and a considerable amount of capacity is due to come ons-stream in a couple of years. Manufacturers have been investing aggressively in capacity expansions (by adding about 60 per cent additional operational capacity) over the past few years, in anticipation of strong domestic demand. The cement industry is dr...
Bélier brand is voted best product of the year
LafargeHolcim Côte d'Ivoire's Bélier cement brand has been voted best product of the year. This recognition was bestowed by the Label of the African Consumers in the presence of Mr Souleymane Diarrassouba, Minister of Commerce, Crafts and the Promotion of the SME. This distinction comes after a five-month satisfaction survey of 14,000 consumers. Ciment Bélier was the top choice among Ivoria...