Korean trucker strike halts cement production

A strike by truckers in South Korea is causing chaos for the country’s cement plants, according to the Korea JoongAng Daily. The strike by members of Cargo Truckers Solidarity, which began on 7 June, has reduced cement shipments to just 13 per cent of their normal levels. Around half of South Korea’s 2700 bulk cement trucks are driven by union members, leaving plants in danger of closure as inventories build up. Two of the country’s cement plants have already ceased operations due to lack of silo space, and more are expected to follow suit if the strike continues, according to Kim Young-min, managing director, Korea Cement Association. More than half of all ready-mix concrete producers have had to halt production due to being unable to get the cement they need. 

The strike is also affecting petrochemical companies, which are only dispatching around 10 per cent of their normal shipments, as well as steel companies, which are having to temporarily close production lines as they are running out of storage space, and car makers, who have been unable to ship around 5700 cars.