Cement News tagged under: market reports
Less-troubled waters14 February 2018, Published under Cement NewsAfter years of austerity, the governments of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are adopting expansionary budgets as oil prices begin to recover, infrastructure spending ramps up and the cement sector looks forward to a brighter 2018. By Hettish Karmani, Ubhar Capital SAOC, Oman. As Dubai plays host to the Cemtech Middle East and Africa 2017 conference and exhibition, the emirate’s construction industry looks forward to the Dubai Expo. The UAE saw a 46.5 per cent rise in infrastruc... |
India’s turning point?05 February 2018, Published under Cement NewsThe July-September 2017 quarter saw the Indian cement market fare mildly better when compared with the general malaise of the past year. Has a turning point been reached? Meanwhile, government initiatives such as the Goods Sales Tax (GST) and a partial ban on petcoke use as well as sand mining are expected to keep the industry on its toes. Can India’s cement industry look forward to a better panorama? Despite one of the best monsoons in recent years hitting India from June to Se... |
Philippines: a clean bill of health31 January 2018, Published under Cement NewsMore than a year has passed since President Rodrigo R Duterte took office in the Philippines and the country’s cement market continues to see strong growth. However, incumbents face challenges in the form of increasing imports and new entrants. Additional capacity is needed as key players fight to retain their market share. By Manas Tamotia, LEK Consulting, Singapore. Republic Cement, a joint-venture between CRH and Aboitiz Equity Ventures, has invested some US$300m to increase cli... |
Mexico: a tough year ahead22 January 2018, Published under Cement NewsThe slowing housing sector and constraints to the public purse have impacted Mexican cement demand in the past two years. The year ahead will present further uncertainties as the country goes to the polls to elect a new president and NAFTA is up for renegotiation. However, the domestic cement industry is in relatively good shape to weather the risks. By Luis Manuel Martinez, S & P Global Ratings, UK. Mexico's cement industry is well equipped to face a challenging 2018. (Pictured: Ceme... |
Ready to serve08 January 2018, Published under Cement NewsAfrica leads the charge for recently-commissioned cement plants. Although orders may be down on previous years, there is a more diverse geographical spread of newly-completed cement facilities and ICR highlights some of the most noteworthy in this report and takes a brief look at what is in stall for the year ahead. Africa has attracted much of the cement industry’s investment. Pictured: PPC opened its US$85m Harare grinding plant While global cement demand in 2017-18 is expecte... |
Gaining momentum in 2018?03 January 2018, Published under Cement NewsThe positive outlook predicted at the start of 2017 has not entirely materialised as emerging markets (EM) have failed to see the widespread recovery that was anticipated a year ago. However, momentum for a recovery is expected to arrive in 2018 as demand in the EM picks up and the USA experiences robust growth. By John Fraser-Andrews, HSBC Global Research, UK. Figure 1: emerging market (ex-China) volume growth to outstrip new capacity in 2018E-19E The synchronised global const... |
Gambia's turning point21 December 2017, Published under Cement NewsLeaving behind a past of political unrest and financial mismanagement, Gambia is at the start of an exciting new chapter. Led by a new, democratically-elected government and witnessing an upturn in construction, the country is about to open its first cement production facility. Thanks to Gambia's newly-found political stability, the international community is re-engaging with the west African country As the smallest country on the African mainland by area, Gambia’s economy... |
West Africa looks to exports18 December 2017, Published under Cement NewsWhile lower oil prices, Ebola and civil unrest have impacted west African economies, the region’s cement market has continued to expand with further growth forecast for the next few years. However, as domestic producers have upgraded their capacities and new players have entered the market, overcapacity is creating the need to export surpluses. By Trond Waerp, Africa Consulting Services AS, Norway. HeidelbergCement operates, via its subsidiary Ghacem, the 4.2Mta Tema plant, the lar... |
From far-away lands04 December 2017, Published under Cement NewsThe United States of America has been the world’s largest cement importer by volume for decades. However, the Great Recession saw imports plummet and while they are currently picking up, progress is slow as they remain a fraction of former peak levels. Will this recovery continue? By Rob Roy, ROI Economic Consulting, USA. Clinker and cement imports were once key to meeting Florida’s cement demand more than any other part of the US as the state imported over 40 per cent of its requi... |
India: the long game?29 November 2017, Published under Cement NewsAs the slowdown in India’s key housing sector largely persists, hopes are on the government’s infrastructure plans to bolster domestic cement consumption and narrow the gap between demand and production capacity. While domestic cement producers may be able to seize the opportunity to export in some of India’s neighbouring countries, these nations’ drive to self-sufficiency is expected to affect export success. In India's largest cities such as Mumbai (pictured) and Delhi, t... |