Semen Padang, a subsidiary of PT Semen Indonesia, has started exporting cement to Australia as the company looks to broaden its customer base beyond the highly-competitive Indonesian market.

In a first shipment the company delivered 22t of cement to Sydney. "The realised export to Australia, known as a difficult market to penetrate because of its strict [import] requirements, proves that the quality of Semen Padang’s products is something that the company can be proud of," Antara news agency quoted Semen Padang’s Commercial Director, Pudjo Suseno, as saying after he launched the first shipment to Australia in Meratus Minahasa V.1705S from Teluk Bayur Port in Padang, West Sumatra.

In 2016 Semen Padang exported 0.396Mt of cement and 90,000t of clinker to Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Philippines and aims to supply overseas markets with 0.571Mt of cement this year.