Cement News tagged: International
Polish cement production up 2.9 per cent YoY
Cement production in Poland increased by 2.9 per cent YoY to 1.62Mt in May, according to the country's cement association, SPC. Year-to-date production increased by 1.5 per cent YoY to 5.64Mt.
Kenya cement prices seen rising on weak shilling
Cement prices in Kenya are likely to rise due to a weak shilling which manufacturers say has increased spending on imported equipment and inputs, local press report. Cliinker, coal and spare parts are the most affected due to high importation costs in the past two months. "In May alone we lost KES160m in foreign exchange loss during the purchase of equipment and inputs. We might adjust p...
Dangote inaugurates Ethiopian cement plant
Dangote Cement has inaugurated its US$480m integrated cement works in Ethiopia in the presence of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn. The new facility has a capacity of 2.5Mta and is located in West Shewa Zone, near Muger town of Oromiya Regional State, about 85km from the capital Addis Ababa. During the inauguration ceremony yesterday, Aliko Dangote, owner of the Dangote Group, said: "The e...
RAM reaffirms Lafarge Malaysia ratings on strong business and financial profile
RAM Rating Services has reaffirmed the ratings of Lafarge Malaysia Bhd’s debt notes based on the strong business and financial profile. The ratings agency had on Thursday reaffirmed the AA2/Stable/P1 ratings of the group’s MYR350m Islamic securities programme (2010/2017). “The ratings are premised on Lafarge Malaysia’s strong business and financial profile. The group is the leading produ...
India to auction 10 coal blocks
The government of India said Thursday it will auction 10 coal blocks with extractable reserves of 356Mt to cement and steel companies. The auction process will begin on 8 June with the government notifying the blocks for different sectors. Bid documents for the blocks will be on sale from that day. The government will invite technical and financial bids for the mines and the last date for...
PCA: 'global cement consumption on the rise'
Global cement consumption is expected to grow through 2015 and 2016, with North America leading recent gains in the developed world, according to a report released by the Portland Cement Association (PCA). According to forecasts by the association, cement consumption among developed economies increased by roughly 9.2Mt in 2014, followed by another 9Mt increase in 2015. "Most of the gains in ...
Siam City Cement announces INSEE Alliance
Siam City Cement (SCCC) this week announced one of Thailand's first industry-wide distribution channels and marketing collaborations in the building material sector with 11 other leading producers of construction materials to offer a " complete range of quality solutions' . The 'INSEE Alliance', which include companies producing structures, roofing, walls, flooring, and decorative materials w...
US monthly shipments ahead, imports up 66%
Portland and blended cement shipments in the US and Puerto Rico in March 2015 rose by 3.5 per cent YoY to 6.3Mt, latest data from the US Geological Survey (USGS) show. Shipments for the year through March totalled 16.4Mt, up by 5.7 per cent from the same period of 2014. The leading producing states for Portland and blended cement in March were California, Texas, Missouri, Florida and Alabama,...
Savannah welcomes new presidential directive
Kenya's Savannah Cement has welcomed a presidential directive, seeking to ensure that public institutions source 40 per cent of their requirements from local manufacturers, saying that the move has the "capacity to accelerate the growth of local industries." Issued as part of President Uhuru Kenyatta's 52nd Madaraka Day national address, the directive is geared towards fostering a buy 'Kenya ...
Ramco boosted by cost control, stable pricing
India-based Ramco Cements reported a 274 per cent rise in 4QFY14-15 net profit to INR934.2m (US$14.6m) on better cost management and stable cement prices. Revenues for the three months to the end of March 2015 edged ahead by 1.2 per cent to US$156m but sales volumes fell 16.4 per cent to 1.88Mt (2.25Mt a year earlier). For the fiscal year that ended on 31 March 2015, Ramco Cements achiev...
Vietnamese producer targets new export markets
La Hien Cement JSC, a subsidiary of the Vietnam National Coal Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin), is seeking new export markets in Asia and Africa, an executive of the company said. According to Nguyen Van Dung, Director of the La Hien JSC, the company will seek new markets while securing its traditional markets including Thai Nguyen, Bac Kan and Lang Son provinces, the Vietnam News Agency...
Pakistan: hopes of FY15-16 budget boost
The Pakistan cement industry has submitted a number of proposals to the government ahead of Budget FY15-16. The All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers’ Association has proposed a review of the Federal Excise Duty (FED), Sales Tax, import duty on coal, duties on waste and scrap tyres, duties on Iranian cement and an increase in the allocation of funds under the government's Public Sector Develo...
Argentinian cement deliveries up 8.3% YoY in May
In May 2015 Argentina’s cement plants shipped 1,001,540t of cement (including exports), representing a five per cent drop compared to last April, but up 7.8 per cent YoY, according to the Argentinian cement producers' association, AFCP. The domestic market expanded by 8.3 per cent YoY as 996,149t were delivered within the country’s borders. When compared with the previous month, a 4.7 per cen...
Devnya Cement officially inaugurates new line, Bulgaria
Devnya Cement, part of Italcementi Group, has officially launched the new line at its plant in Bulgaria in the presence of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. Also present at the ceremony was Italy’s Ambassador to Bulgaria, Marco Conticelli, who pointed out that Italian investments in Bulgaria were producing clear results, according to reports by the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency. He said that the cem...
Indian output down 2.4% in April
The output of eight core industries in India contracted for the second consecutive month in April, on poor performances by the cement, electricity, natural gas refinery products and fertiliser sectors. In April 2015, output by the eight industries fell by 0.4 per cent. The output of the cement sector declined by 2.4 per cent, with falls in production also sen in natural gas (3.6 per cent), e...
Secil 1Q15 boosted by Angola operations
Semapa, the Portuguese holding company that controls Secil, said turnover in its Cement and Derivatives Business unit for the first quarter of 2015 increased by 2.4 per cent YoY to EUR99.9m. The growth is mostly attributed to the performance of the ready-mix business unit in Portugal and Angola operations. EBITDA during the three month period rose by four per cent to EUR17.1m. Operating inc...