The Nihon Keizai Shimbun says Japanese cement companies are planning on halting exports to Korea to increase export profitability.

The Japanese daily said that Ube-Mitsubishi Cement Corporation will stop exporting cement to Korea and Malaysia starting in April and will instead concentrate on dealing with the Australian market, where demand is steady.

The paper said that Sumitomo Osaka Cement will also review their exports to Korea, explaining that the export strategies of Japanese companies are changing with the country’s strong yen and stagnant real estate market.