Cement News tagged under: international
Algeria to become net exporter?06 August 2014, Published under Cement NewsAlgeria's cement imports have increased by 30 per cent to US$283.9m in 1H14, according to the country's Customs Office. In terms of volumes, imports reached 3.086Mt in the six first months of 2014, up 26.6 per cent when compared with 2.438Mt in 1H13, said the National Information and Statistics Office. However, Algeria's current cement shortage could be reversed in the next few years as several new plants enter service. The most recent project, funded by the National Investment Coun... |
Mauritius opens LafargeHolcim merger inquiry06 August 2014, Published under Cement NewsThe Competition Commission of Mauritius (CCM) has opened an inquiry to determine whether the merger of Holcim and Lafarge will have a negative impact on the competition in the island's cement market. If the merger is completed successfully, Lafarge and Holcim have said they will both sell their holdings in Holcim (Mauritius) Ltd to a third party. "We appreciate that the merger parties have informed the CCM of their actions and are reactive with respect to measures that restore competiti... |
Kathmandu prices rise on higher production costs, Nepal05 August 2014, Published under Cement NewsPrices of most building materials including cement have increased in the Kathmandu valley since last year, according to local traders. Binod Keshari Upadhyaya, president of the Federation of Construction Materials Association told local press that construction materials have been rising due to costlier raw materials and various government policies. Higher transportation costs and wages have also pushed up prices of clinker. Cement prices have reportedly risen 8-10 per cent this year, ac... |
Zarkalis takes the helm at Titan America, USA04 August 2014, Published under Cement NewsTitan America has announced that Bill Zarkalis will serve as company CEO effective 1 August 2014. Mr Zarkalis joins from parent organisation Titan Cement SA, where he served as Group Chief Financial Officer since 2010 and Executive Director of Business Development and Strategic Planning prior to that. "It was a great learning opportunity and a privilege to take a detour from a long career in business management roles and serve Titan as the Group Chief Financial Officer and I'm now thrilled ... |
MPA: positive 2Q14 sales point to second-half construction improvement04 August 2014, Published under Cement NewsFollowing the significant improvement in UK sales volumes of mineral products from mid-2013, the latest Mineral Products Association (MPA) data indicate further improvement in the first half of 2014. Compared to 2Q last year, crushed rock was the fastest growing market (up by nine per cent), whilst both asphalt and sand and gravel were four per cent higher. Ready mixed concrete sales fell 3.2 per cent over the period, but the decline should be viewed in the context of the very high volumes ... |
Cherat Cement to increase capacity, Pakistan01 August 2014, Published under Cement NewsCherat Cement plans to invest PKR12bn (US$121.5m) in expanding capacity at its Pakhtunkhwa works, according to a company official. The company will be investing in a new 1.3Mta line, said Abid A Vazir, executive director of Cherat Cement. The decision to raise capacity is due to an expected rise in domestic consumption. The move will effectively double Cherat's capacity which currently stands at 1.1Mta. The term-loan for the project has been arranged. The project has reportedly been awa... |
Argos plans innovation centre, Colombia01 August 2014, Published under Cement NewsCementos Argos is planning to develop an innovation centre in Colombia, covering an area of 4807m2, at a cost of COP23.70bn (US$12.73m). The centre will be carried out in partnership with the Universidad EAFIT in Medellín, where it will be located. The new facility, which will test new cement and concrete products as part of Argos' innovation drive, is expected to be completed next year. |
Holiday slowdown affects Pakistan & Bangladesh31 July 2014, Published under Cement NewsImports and exports of cement and raw materials through some of Pakistan and Bangladesh’s key ports have been disrupted since 25 July 2014 due to the Eid ul-Fitr festival and seasonal holidays. Both governments have officially declared 4-5 days holiday for the Eid festivities but offline periods have been stretched due to weekly holidays as well. Pakistan The partial suspension of loading operations at Karachi Port and Port Qasim have affected the export of about 55,000t of cement fr... |
Hanson plans Padeswood expansion, UK30 July 2014, Published under Cement NewsHanson Cement has submitted plans for expansion of its packaging facilities at its Padeswood cement works in north Wales, UK. Just two years ago, the plant faced the threat of closure due to depressed construction levels. However the company decided to run the Padeswood works at half capacity in the hope the situation would improve. “We have three plants – one in Padeswood, one in Lancashire and one in Lincolnshire. We only really needed two and Padeswood would probably have been the one... |
China's first-half output growth slows30 July 2014, Published under Cement NewsCement output rose 3.6 per cent YoY to 1.14bnt in the first half of 2014, slowing 6.1 percentage points from the expansion seen during the same period last year, according to latest data from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) posted on its website. |