Cement News tagged: International
Holcim to contest Indian price fixing fine
Holcim has said will defend the position of its two Indian units on the penalties imposed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for price fixing. Yesterday, the CCI announced that it would fine 11 Indian producers a total of US$1.1bn, stating that they had created an artificial cement shortage “so as to reduce supplies and raise prices in times of higher demand," it said in its judgm...
Lebanon demand falls, brighter times anticipated
Despite a slowdown in current market activity, a bright future lies ahead for Lebanon’s cement industry, according to the chief of one the country's leading producers. Speaking, to The Daily Star, Pierre Doumet, CEO of Cimenterie National, admitted that domestic consumption has been falling as well as demand from export markets due to regional instability and eurozone economic concerns. ...
Asia Cement to build plant in Northern China
Asia Cement has announced plans to build a new plant 10Mta plant in Handan, Hebei province, marking the Taiwan-based producer’s first foray into the North China Market. Taiwan Economic News reported Asia Cement vice chairman, TS Chang , as saying that the new plant will have a capacity of 10Mta, comprising two kiln lines, and will be operational by 2015. The project is expected to cost TWD2...
Taiwan Cement: cautiously optimistic on second-half prospects
The implementation of various infrastructure projects in Taiwan is expected to help improved market conditions in the second half of this year, the head of the country's leading producer has said. Chairman of Taiwan Cement Corp, Koo Cheng-yun, said during a recent shareholders' meeting that he is cautiously optimistic on the industry’s second half outlook due to various factors. “Taiwan ind...
Indian producers issued with record fine on price fixing
Eleven Indian cement producers have been issued a total fine of INR60bn (US$1.1bn) for price fixing, the highest ever fine issued by the country’s antitrust authority in its three-year existence. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) said in its ruling that the companies colluded to underuse their plants and create an artificial cement shortage. "The commission has found that the cement...
Qatar National Cement to build new plant
The board of directors of Qatar National Cement Company (QNCC) has approved the construction of a new plant with a clinker capaicty of 5000tpd, the company said in a statement to the bourse. The board has mandated the company’s management to take the necessary steps to execute the project, SeeNews Middle East and Africa reports. QNCC reported a net profit of QAR117.9m for the first quart...
Lafarge Canada plans Exshaw expansion
Lafarge Canada plans to expand its Exshaw cement plant which will involve a new kiln line as well as upgrades to meet higher environmental standards and improve productivity. The company is now calling for the public’s opinion on its proposals to manage possible issues like increased traffic. “We’re looking at how we can mitigate the impact to the community,” Heinz Knopfel, plant’s manager...
Taiheiyo Cement Philippines to lift output by 60% this year
Taiheiyo Cement Philippines is in the process of implementing measures to raise production to rise expected rises in domestic demand in the near-future. Speaking to the Inquirer, Satoshi Asami, president of the local cement manufacturer, said the company will maximise capacity of its existing mills as well as cement packing system and terminal facility. Last year the company produced 800...
Eurozone April construction output falls
Construction output in the 17 nations that use the euro dropped 2.7 per cent in April compared to the month before, and five per cent from April 2011, the European Union's official statistics agency Eurostat said Tuesday. Eurostat also lowered its estimate for the growth of construction output in March, to 11.4 per cent from 12.4 per cent. The decline in construction during April was widespr...
PIBT receives US$19m from IFC to part finance terminal
Pakistan International Bulk Terminal Limited (PIBT) said it has signed an agreement with the International Finance Corp (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group to get part financing for the construction of Pakistan’s first multipurpose non-food dry bulk cargo terminal at the Port Qasim near Karachi. In his welcome speech, Managing Director Marine Group of Companies Aasim A Siddiqui highligh...
UBS launches coverage on Italcementi and Buzzi Unicem
UBS started covering Italy's two largest cement producers, Italcementi and Buzzi Unicem, as they struggle against a backdrop of a construction recession and declining cement demand. The analysts expect cement sales in Italy to slump 20 per cent this year. Pricing, on the other hand, seem to offset this trend but competition is solid and the pressure on Italcementi is strong, UBS said. It a...
China prices continue to fall
The average price of cement across China last week fell 0.83% to CNY336.25/t compared to the previous week. Cement prices have been falling since the end of April registering price adjustments of CN10-50/t mainly in Beijing, Hebei and Anhui. According to industry portal Digital Cement, the price of cement in Beijing and Hebei continued to fall last week by CNY20-50/t and the price in Beiji...
Spanish May cement consumption falls 37.2%
Spanish cement consumption in May plunged 37.2 per cent over the same month last year to 1.26Mt, data from the domestic cement association, Oficemen shows. For the first five months of 2012, demand has dropped 34.6 per cent to almost 6Mt. The average daily consumption in May stood at 57,594t, a third of the total consumed in 2008 at the beginning of the crisis, Oficemen stressed. It further...
Lafarge cement packer unveiled, UK
Local MP and member of Parliament, Ken Clarke, visited Lafarge Cement's Barnstone plant to officially unveil a state of the art cement packer which will significantly increase the plant's output. Lafarge operates the Barnstone plant for blending and packaging a unique range of over 26 ready to use cement-based products, mainly for the DIY market. The facility also exports specialist cements t...
Indian producers face alleged cartel fines
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is expected to soon impose fines over alleged price collusion in the industry. According to local press reports, the CCI is expected to fine 11 large cement manufacturers approximately INR3000crore for being guilty of a price cartel. Business Standard of India quoted an unnamed source as saying: "The Competition Commission of India has found 11 ce...
Fire at Hanson’s Ketton works, UK
Firefighters were called to an underground blaze at Hanson Cement’s Ketton works where a conveyor belt caught fire. Once the power in the affected area was switched off, crews took just 30 mintues to extinguish the blaze. Plant manager, Mark Cox, said the fire began because one of the conveyor belts stopped and the clinker it was carrying set the rubber conveyor belt alight. Mr Cox added:...