Cement News tagged: International
Nigerian cement industry backs 42.5 grade cement
Major cement producers in Nigeria have pledged their commitment to the House of Representatives’ position that 42.5MPa grade cement is to become the minimum standard of cement quality produced in the country. All products that do not meet this benchmark are expected to be withdrawn from the market. The step follows government acceptance of report findings and stakeholder consultation by the...
Companies contest EU ruling
Cement companies have appealed to the European Court of Justice seven rulings the EU General Court upholding the European Commission's broad requests for information (RFI) in an antitrust investigation. Following the opening of its investigation, the Commission requested detailed and voluminous information from the investigated cement manufacturers. The companies challenged the requests befo...
Mexico: Cementos Fortaleza plant to be inaugurated next week
Mexichem, Elementia and Lafarge will inaugurate the first plant of Cementos Fortaleza on Tuesday, 8 July 2014. The event will be led by Mexico’s president, Enrique Peña Nieto, and Carlos Slim Helú, head of Grupo Carso. The new works is located in Santiago de Anaya, Hidalgo, and is expected to produce 2Mta. Cementos Fortaleza is a strategic alliance between Elementia, which holds 53 per cent...
Housebuilding boosts UK construction growth
UK construction has grown at its fastest annual pace in four months during June 2014 led by an increase in housebuilding, a survey has suggested. The Markit/CIPS purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the sector rose to 62.6 in June from 60.0 in May, its highest level since February and well above the forecast for a fall to 59.5. The reading beat analysts' forecasts for a fall to 59.5. A m...
Pakistan exports decline in first 11 months
Despite a marked increase in shipments to India, Pakistan exports have proved disappointing in the first 11 months of the current fiscal, declining both in volume and revenue terms compared to the same period of last year. Latest data shows that Pakistan exported 7.792Mt of cement on revenues of US$460.30m during the first 11 months (July 2014 - May 2014) of fiscal FY13-14, a YoY decline of...
Producers agree to lower Himachal Pradesh prices, India
Cement producers operating in Himachal Pradesh (HP) have agreed to reduce the price of cement in the northern Indian state to bring it more in line with prices in neighbouring states, an official has said. "Ambuja, ACC and Jaypee have agreed in principle to reduce the price with immediate effect," a government spokesperson told local press. The move comes as chief minister of Himachal Pra...
ARM acquires full control of Rwandan producer
ARM Cement has completed the acquisition of Kigali Cement, taking full control of the Rwandan producer. ARM Cement, which has held a 35 per cent stake in the company, bought out the remaining 65 per cent stake held by various shareholders to take complete control of the firm. The deal was finalised in April. "We finally acquired a 100 per cent equity stake and full control of our Rwanda ...
Vietnam first-half cement output rises 7%
Vietnam produced 29.5Mt of cement in the first half of this year, up seven per cent YoY, the government’s General Statistics Office (GSO) has said. The figure includes 5.4Mt sold in June, up 19 per cent, the office added. The GSO has, however, revised down the country’s cement output in May to 5.4Mt from the earlier estimated figure of 5.5Mt. In 2013, Vietnam’s cement output hit 56.8...
US shipments rise 6% YoY
Shipments of Portland and blended cement in the US and Puerto Rico for the four months to the end of April 2014 reached 23.1Mt, up by about six per cent YoY, latest data from the US Geological Survey (USGS) shows. Shipments in April were 7.4Mt, an increase of about 11 per cent from the level in the same month of the previous year. The leading consuming states (Texas, California, Florida, Ohi...
Trinidad Cement Ltd increases prices
Trinidad Cement Ltd (TCL) has increased its prices as of 1 July 2014 to help counter increases in production costs. The company stated: “TCL Premium Plus, which accounts for 95 per cent of local market share, will be adjusted by nine per cent, which is equal to a five cent increase per pound from US$.53 to $.58 VAT inclusive. Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), which is used by approximately fi...
Argentina: May cement deliveries increase 2.6 per cent MoM
In May 2014, Argentina’s cement producers delivered 929,202t of cement (including exports), up 2.6 per cent when compared with April, but down 8.5 per cent YoY. Domestic demand, including imports, increased 2.7 per cent MoM to 920,093t. Compared with May 2013, however, it fell by 7.8 per cent.
Lafarge Pakistan launches new Xtreme Bond product
Lafarge Pakistan has launched its Xtreme Bond product, a new tile adhesive designed and developed by the company. The adhesive, unveiled at a ceremony in the capital Islamabad, has been specifically designed to combat risks that can occur during tiling, such as differential shrinkage, allowing the job to be completed within a shorter time period, it added. Mirza Sheeraz, brand manager of Xtr...
Lafarge Canada seeks approval to burn waste plastic at Brookfield
Lafarge Canada plans to apply to Nova Scotia’s Environment Department for a trial permit to burn waste plastic as an alternative fuel at its Brookfield cement plant. The plastic would partially replace coal use at the works. The project is expected to create jobs in the local area, related to the preparation and transportation of the potential fuel. The cement plant will run...
US: PCA maintains favourable outlook despite 1Q weakness
According to the PCA’s ‘2014 State Construction and Cement Forecasts - All States’, first-quarter weakness among some economic indicators appears temporary and the association maintains a favourable outlook for 2014. "Steady job growth, healthier government finances, and improving residential metrics following the winter freeze are setting the stage for continued construction expansion," the...
APCMA calls on government to eliminate duty on imported coal
The All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) is calling on the government to eliminate the one per cent duty on imported coal as it has done with other fuel types since its initial introduction. The association has requested has requested Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar, Minister for Finance and Tariq Bajwa, chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue to resto...
OCC inks financing agreement for new mill project
The Oman Arab Bank (OAB) has signed new banking facilities to Oman Cement Company (OCC) for its new cement mill No 5 project, including a term loan in addition to letters of credit. The Times of Oman reported that the agreement was signed by Jamal bin Shamis Al Hooti, CEO of OCC and Amin Al Husseini, CEO of the Oman Arab Bank.