Cement News tagged: International
Argentine cement market contracts 33% in June
Cement demand in Argentina fell 32.8 per cent YoY and seven per cent MoM to 725,661t in June 2024, according to the country’s cement association, AFCP. This includes 81t of imports. Domestic production dropped 32.8 per cent YoY and 7.4 per cent MoM to 727,405t in June 2024. Of this total, 1825t was exported, down from 28.9 per cent YoY 2568t in June 2023. First-half 2024 In the January-J...
Sri Lanka considering price control for cement
Sri Lanka’s Trade Minister Malin Fernando said the country was considering the introduction of price controls on cement. The step followed cement companies’ announcement that they would be reducing prices by LKR150 (US$0.50) to LKR2250/bag. Mr Fernando said: “I don’t accept this reducing the price by 150, I want the maximum retail price to be 2000-2500.” “We will announce a maximum retail p...
Dominican cement price rise affects housing construction
In the Dominican Republic, cement prices, as represented in the Direct Cost of Housing Construction (ICDV), have increased by 49.3 per cent between January 2020-April 2024, according to the Dominican Association of Housing Builders and Developers (Acoprovi). This is causing inflationary pressures and increasing the cost of housing construction as cement represents 18 per cent of construction c...
Cementtech 2024 takes place in Wuhan
Cementtech 2024 opened its doors yesterday to over 20,000 visitors and 1500 exhibitors from across the globe in its 15,000m 2 exhibition area. Hosted at the picturesque Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center, this event unites industry-leading technology and service providers, cement manufacturers and cement sector experts. Two primary themes of the event were the decarbonisatio...
Vietnam YtdD cement sales disappoint
Total Vietnam cement sales, including domestic and export, for May amounted to 7.873Mt, down 7.8 per cent MoM from 8.541Mt in April but up 2.6 per cent YoY from 7.678Mt in May 2023, according to the Vietnam National Cement Association (VNCA). Domestic sales in Vietnam fell 6.7 per cent MoM to 5.317Mt in May from 5.699Mt but were up 5.4 per cent YoY compared to the 5.044Mt reported in May 2...
Peruvian cement market contracts 2% in May
Domestic cement dispatches in Peru slipped two per cent YoY in May 2024 to 0.958Mt from 0.977Mt in May 2023, according to the country's cement association, ASOCEM. OF this total, 0.87Mt was supplied by ASOCEM members. Cement production by local cement manufacturers was down four per cent to 0.887Mt in May 2024 when compared with 0.928Mt in the year-ago period. Clinker output fell by 10 per ...
GCCA and UNIDO sign decarbonisation MoU
A ground-breaking agreement has been signed by the UN’s Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) to work together on decarbonising the cement and concrete industry, with a strong focus on the Global South. The two organisations have agreed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which will see them working together on key sustainability an...
Vietnam cement sales rise in April but disappoint YtD
Total Vietnam cement sales, including domestic and export, for April amounted to 8.541Mt, a 7.7 per cent MoM and 4.6 per cent YoY increase, up from 7.931Mt in March and 8.164Mt in April 2023. Domestic sales in Vietnam rose 11.5 per cent MoM and 1.4 per cent YoY to 5.699Mt in April 2024. This is up from 5.113Mt in March and 5.622Mt a year earlier, according to the Vietnam National Cement As...
Weakness lingering in Spanish cement industry
Cement consumption in Spain reported marginal growth of 0.3 per cent YoY in May to 1.364Mt, up from 1.361Mt in May 2023, according to the latest cement statistics. Exports were up 11.4 per cent YoY in May, coming in at 504,696t, almost 52,000t more than in the same month of 2023. January-May 2024 Cement consumption was down 3.4 per cent YoY in the first five months of 2024, amounting ...
Pakistan’s federal budget offers mixed incentives for the cement industry
On 12 June Pakistan’s Finance Minister, Muhammad Aurangzeb, presented a budget proposal of PKR18.8776trn (US$67.8bn) for FY24-25. The proposal features a record-high deficit of PKR8.5trn, broadly perceived to align with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) guidelines. The cement industry has not yet released any comments on the budget or its lack of considerable incentives for the cement ...
Queensland commits US$70bn to infrastructure investment
Australia’s Queensland government has announced AUD107.3bn (US$70.9bn) in infrastructure investment over the next four years as part of its Big Build programme. Priorities under the programme include decarbonising the state’s energy system, expanding its healthcare capacity, and preparing for the upcoming Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, according to Felix Project News. Under th...
Heavy rains and floods impact Brazil's cement demand in May
Adverse weather conditions and flooding in Rio Grande do Sul have impacted Brazil's cement dispatches in May 2024, reports the country's cement association, SNIC. Domestic sales were down 5.3 per cent YoY to 5.269Mt in May 2024 when compared with 5.562Mt in May 2023. Southern Brazil saw a 16.3 per cent YoY drop in sales to 0.816Mt in May 2024 from 0.975Mt, while in the southeast sales were d...
Pakistan's cement industry witnesses significant challenges in FY23-24
The cement industry in Pakistan grappled with a series of significant challenges in FY23-24, as reported by the Central Bank. The financial year is yet to complete hence the data represents 10FY23-24. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) unveiled the country’s economic survey 2023-24 on 11 June, shedding light on the state of its cement industry. The report revealed that the industry has been co...
Afrimat Construction Index reports 1.3% YoY decline
Afrimat has released the findings of its Afrimat Construction Index (ACI) for the 1Q24 in South Africa. According to Dr Roelof Botha, the weak economic growth during the first quarter of the year was evident in the construction sector, with eight of the 10 constituent indicators of the ACI recording YoY declines and the ACI growth rate slipping to just below zero. The index recorded a level of...
National Budget FY24-25 offers no direct incentive for the cement sector
Bangladesh’s National Budget for FY24-25 was presented by Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, Minister of Finance, in parliament on 6 June 2024. A cursory look at budget documents reveals no direct tax measures/proposals for the cement sector, which encounters financial challenges due to the high cost of raw materials. However, some indirect tax proposals may positively impact the cement industry. The co...
Argentina's cement demand down 27% in May
Argentina's cement market contracted by 27.2 per cent YoY to 780,541t in May 2024 from 1,071,951t, but compared with April 2024, dispatches were up 19 per cent, reports the country's cement association, AFCP. Domestic production was down 27.1 per cent YoY to 785,211t in May 2024 from 1,077,128t, but up 18.7 per cent MoM. Of this total, cement producers exported 4930t, representing a drop of ...