Cement Net Report: Italy's Buzzi Formally Completes Acquisition of UAE Gulf Cement

Mauritanian cement producer Ciment du Nord has signed a clinker supply agreement with Algeria's state-owned Cement Industry Group (GICA), which will export 360,000 tons of clinker to Mauritania through its commercial subsidiary SO. DIS. MAC.

2025-10-23 15:46:21

In the fiscal year 2024-2025, the profit of Crown Cement PLC, a leading cement producer in Bangladesh, fell sharply, with net profit falling 33% year-on-year to 670 million Taka. Cost pressures, such as new depreciation, interest expenses, rising electricity prices and increased advertising manpower expenditure, are the main reasons. Despite the challenges, the company's cash flow has improved. Revenue increased by 15% in July-March 2025, but gains were offset by high financing and energy costs. The company continued to expand, purchased land to prepare for development, and sponsored the transfer of directors'shares in April or as a succession strategy.

2025-10-23 14:46:35

On October 23, Gulf Cement Company (GCC), the cornerstone of the UAE's industrial sector for nearly 50 years, formally merged into the Italian Buzzi Group (Buzzi) and held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Las Hippocampus, UAE. Founded in 1977, Gulf Cement is an important driving force for local infrastructure construction and is known for its high-quality products and environmental protection measures. After merging into Buqi Group, it will use its advantages to enhance its operation and expand its international influence. Both CEOs are optimistic about the integration, which highlights Buzi's determination to strengthen its presence in the Middle East, and GCC will continue to contribute to regional development.

2025-10-23 12:00:54

Deeply concerned about the shortage of cement in Farafenni, Gambia, cement dealers have called on the government to reconsider lifting the ban on Senegalese cement. They had been importing cement from Senegal, and the ban disrupted business. Dry season demand rises and problems may worsen. Sheikh, the importer, said that the inability to import made the trucks idle, and the high tariff made it difficult to make a profit; 6,000 bags of cement were trapped in Alhaji for two years; some of the trucks in Djibouti were out of service, causing the drivers and others to lose their jobs. Relevant practitioners have a hard life, and dealers agree that lifting the ban can stabilize the market, reduce costs and restore related business.

2025-10-22 14:29:55

Swiss building materials giant Holcim Ltd. Is accelerating its transformation from a traditional cement business, buying Germany's Xella Group for 1.85 billion Swiss francs, its biggest acquisition since 2021. The acquisition is in line with the strategy of focusing on high profit margin and sustainable products, helping to enter the European wall material market and making the company dominant in the European real estate recovery. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026, creating value from the first year. Holcim plans to do 15 to 20 more deals this year, has already allocated funds for mergers and acquisitions and buybacks, and the acquisition will help it transform itself into a diversified construction solutions giant.

2025-10-22 13:46:37

Recently, the Uzbek government lowered the mandatory quota for cement producers to sell through commodity exchanges from 50% to 25%, which experts fear will push up cement prices during the peak demand season. The government's previous reduction in the limestone tax rate has failed to reduce the price of cement, which has risen by 30% since the beginning of this year, and the tax relief has also reduced the national budget revenue. Ukraine has 40 cement production enterprises with a total annual production capacity of 39.7 million tons, many of which have foreign shares, while the country imposes a 30% tariff on imported cement.

2025-10-22 12:00:32

Recently, Zimbabwe's Minister of Information, Janvan Musweree, said that Chinese enterprises have invested more than US $1 billion in Tianjin's cement industry in the past year, greatly enhancing its cement production capacity. Huaxin, Huizi International and other projects landed. China's investment is in line with Tianjin's efforts to revitalize manufacturing and accelerate industrialization, bringing capital, technology and management experience, creating employment and promoting the development of the industrial chain. Tianjin's industrial reconstruction and growth plan promotes the development of manufacturing industry, which is outstanding in 2024-2025. China's investment provides impetus for its rise, and Tianjin's cement and manufacturing industry is expected to continue to improve in the future.

2025-10-22 10:00:56

The Kenyan government plans to abolish the 17.5% tax on clinker imports by June 2026, aiming to reverse the severe impact on the domestic steel and cement industries since the tax came into effect in July 2023, in order to restore a level playing field and boost industry performance.

2025-10-22 09:55:40

Egypt recently held a special meeting of cement producers, focusing on how to increase production capacity, restart idle production lines and stabilize market prices. In order to encourage enterprises to increase production, the Egyptian government will implement temporary license capacity adjustment fee relief for enterprises that promise to increase local market supply during October. This incentive is in line with the government's strategy of regulating the market and lowering prices by expanding local production.

2025-10-22 09:45:03

The Spanish construction market is remarkably resilient. In the first nine months of this year, the cement consumption increased by 9.7%. The industry organization predicted that the annual growth of 8% -9% would reach about 16 million tons, but the actual growth should be close to 19-20 million tons, and the growth did not make up for the housing deficit. In the future, a certain number of new housing will be built every year to stabilize the market. Decarbonization is the biggest challenge in the industry, and the "five-C approach" is adopted to deal with it. Holcim will invest about 225 million Swiss francs in innovation in 2024, with several factories and more than 1000 employees in the West. The CEO concluded that the first year's performance was positive and strengthened the commitment to sustainable development.

2025-10-21 17:06:35

Colombia's industrial sector is facing energy uncertainty and rising cost pressures, and natural gas shortages are expected in 2026. The company expects that only 51.9% of the natural gas needed for operation will be guaranteed, the price may rise by 50.8%, and the price of cement is expected to rise by more than 100%. Domestic production is unable to meet demand, and industrial dependence on imports has led to rising costs. Steel, cement and other industries are greatly affected, some enterprises consider alternatives, such as switching to liquefied petroleum gas, 79% of enterprises will switch to alternative fuels, 21% plan to import, 12% are expected to reduce production.

2025-10-21 10:54:02

Recently, the Portuguese Construction Industry Association (AICCOPN) data showed that as of August, the total domestic cement consumption was 2.657 million tons, down 1.6% from the same period last year. Despite the growth of the residential real estate market, cement consumption still showed a downward trend. In the second quarter of 2025, the housing market was active, with the sales volume, total transaction value and housing price index all rising; in the first seven months, the number of building permits issued and the permitted area of the housing sector increased significantly. In August, the cumulative change of new mortgage credit was 37.7% year-on-year. Public works market indicators also showed strong growth, with significant increases in tenders and contract amounts.

2025-10-20 17:03:53

From January to September 2025, the sales volume of cement in Indonesia decreased by 2.4% year-on-year, from 46.789 million tons in the same period of 2024 to 45.668 million tons. Demand in Sumatra and other places increased, while demand in Java, Sulawesi and Kalimantan decreased. The output was 46.546 million tons, representing a year-on-year decrease of 5.9%; the output of clinker was 42.319 million tons, representing a year-on-year increase of 0.9%. On the export side, 879,000 tons of cement were exported, up 11.5% year on year, and 9.413 million tons of clinker were exported, up 20.3% year on year. Indonesia is expected to maintain its position as the world's largest clinker exporter this year, with cement exports ranking 18th in the world.

2025-10-17 13:53:04

Erbol Akimbayev, head of the Association of Cement and Concrete Producers in Kazakhstan, said the Uzbek Cabinet issued a confidential order in July stipulating that the price of cement imported from Kazakhstan should not be less than $300 per ton, while Kazakh producers usually sell for about $30 per ton, which makes exports unprofitable. In August, the import volume of Harbin Cement to Ukraine dropped to zero for the first time in seven years. The order was not verified, causing trade tensions. The association is discussing with relevant parties, Akimbayev warned Kazakhstan to take retaliatory measures to reduce imports from Ukraine, and Kazakhstan plans to sign a long-term oil product supply agreement with Azerbaijan.

2025-10-17 11:09:00

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the acquisition of Jaiprakash Associates Limited (JAL) by Vedanta Limited for approximately Rs. 17,000 crore under the Bankruptcy Act proceedings. Once an important player in India's cement industry, JAL's cement business has faced challenges in recent years due to huge debts and multiple defaults, with factories shut down and production capacity shrinking. Vedanta beat out the Adani Group as the highest bidder in a hotly contested bid, with payments made in advance and installments. Credit analysts were cautious, however, with Fitch Group's CreditSights classifying the acquisition as a "credit negative," noting the risks and execution challenges of entering a new industry.

2025-10-15 17:50:54

Turkish cement producer Çimsa's new gray cement grinding plant in Houston, USA, has officially opened with an annual capacity of 600,000 tons and a total investment of $82 million, making it the only Turkish producer with gray cement production facilities in the US market, according to Yatirimlar. Previously, it had a white cement grinding plant with an annual capacity of 300000 tons in the United States. The company's CEO said that the goal is to become a global building materials company, with a number of acquisitions and investments in recent years. This investment in the United States is a turning point, gaining logistics advantages, and plans to increase sales, consolidate its position and increase its share of foreign currency revenue.

2025-10-15 11:07:50

Rajasthan is expected to overtake Andhra Pradesh as India's largest cement-producing state, and Jodhpur is emerging as an important production hub. From 2026 to 2029, six new cement plants are planned to be built in the region, with an estimated investment of more than 17 billion rupees, which will increase production capacity by nearly 16 million tons. At present, Andhra Pradesh has the leading capacity of 62.5 million tons, while Rajasthan has 55 million tons. Jodhpur's economy originally relied on tourism, then developed new energy sources, and now cement manufacturing has added a new dimension. With abundant local limestone reserves and the support of the state government, the industry will contribute to the state's GDP growth and highlight its economic ambitions.

2025-10-11 15:52:38

On October 8, 2025, Dangote Cement, a subsidiary of Dangote Group, opened a large-scale cement production facility in Attingu Attingué, a small town 30 kilometers from Abidjan, Ivory Coast. The launching ceremony was held at the Novotel Hotel Abidjan-Macori. Serge Gbotta, the company's Ivorian chief executive, said the goal was to provide Ivorians with international high-quality cement produced locally at competitive prices. The factory covers an area of 50 hectares, invests 100 billion CFA francs, produces 3 million tons of cement annually, creates more than 1000 direct and indirect jobs, and plans to strengthen local industrial management skills through training at Dangote College.

2025-10-11 15:35:07

On September 30, 2025, the Tariff Commission (TC) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) of the Philippines completed an investigation into the import of ordinary Portland cement type 1 and blended cement and recommended the implementation of the final safeguard tariff. DTI launched a preliminary investigation in October 2024 and imposed provisional tariffs in February 2025. The TC survey found that the import volume increased sharply after 2022, resulting in serious damage to the market share of local industries and low capacity utilization. It is proposed to impose a three-year tariff of 349 pesos per ton on imported cement and exempt some small developing economies from imports. The final decision is made by the Minister of Trade, who needs to act within 15 days.

2025-10-11 11:12:45

Recently, Libya's Ministry of Industry and Minerals held key talks at its office in Misrata on the construction of a modern cement plant by Hungary's Rotary International Ltd. Mustafa Samu, the deputy minister in charge, stressed the need for the new plant to adopt a "zero pollution" process to fill the gap in the local market and reduce the proportion of imported cement. The two sides discussed the landing mechanism of the scheme to integrate foreign capital, technology and local resources and labor. Samu said that the Libyan side would reshape the local manufacturing industry and provide "one-stop" policy escort for foreign partners. He also praised Rotary and looked forward to more projects to make up for the industrial shortcomings.

2025-10-10 11:39:11

Recently, Cement Australia (CA), a joint venture between Holcim Australia and Heidelberg Materials Australia, completed the acquisition of the cement sector of the Buckeridge Group of Companies (BGC). Effective October 1, 2025. BGC is a private enterprise group founded in 1959 in Perth, Western Australia, with diversified business and annual turnover of more than 2 billion Australian yuan. Its cement business, operated through BGC Cementitious, is vertically integrated and accounts for approximately 47% of the Western Australian cement market. In December 2024, BGC announced the sale of the unit in a deal valued at AUD600-800 million.

2025-10-10 09:57:32

As a result of the war, Ukraine's cement industry has fallen from its peak and is looking for exports to survive. In 2021, the output was 11 million tons, which dropped sharply to 5.4 million tons in 2022, and then slowly climbed to 8 million tons in 2025, but there is still a gap. The structure of demand has changed, infrastructure and defense projects have become big buyers in the short term, and domestic consumption has shown signs of weakness. Excess capacity is balanced by exports, and the proportion of export volume will rise to 21% in 2024. With the increase of market concentration and the monopoly of production capacity by several large kilns, CRH is expected to bring capital and enhance competitiveness to the industry if the acquisition is successful.

2025-10-09 17:03:22

The Hama Cement Plant in central Syria received the largest foreign capital injection in history. The Ministry of Economy and Industry of Syria signed a memorandum of understanding with Vertex, an Iraqi investment group, to upgrade and expand the plant in the BOT mode. The daily clinker output of the third production line will be increased within 13 months, and a new production line will be built within five years, with a total capacity approaching 11000 tons per day, with an investment of about US $300 million. The formal contract will be finalised within a month. Previously, A ³ & Co in the United Arab Emirates also had cooperation projects, and the two were "each in charge of a section". The upgrading and expansion of the plant indicates the restart of the cement industry in Syria, which is the vane of rebuilding material self-sufficiency and attracting capital reflux.

2025-10-09 10:08:17

Recently, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs of Pakistan announced that the port of Qasim will be upgraded to the "flagship springboard" for the export of national cement and clinker. In the last fiscal year, the export volume and price of cement and clinker in Pakistan increased simultaneously, and the growth rate of African and North American routes was obvious. This round of expansion will take Qasim Port as the core, finalize the short, flat and fast plan, and start construction of new berths, storage depots and repair yards by the end of 2025. It will also build a fast export channel with the association to reduce the detention time. Due to the decline in domestic demand, exports are the way out to digest production capacity. After landing, the project will enhance throughput capacity, consolidate market advantages and feed back the industrial chain.

2025-09-28 11:25:36

Recently, the state government of Campeche, Mexico, and the Blue Cross Cement Cooperative announced the start of the construction of the fifth cement plant in Seba Praia. The designed annual production capacity of the plant is 1 million tons, which is contracted by EPC mode of Tianjin Cement Industry Design and Research Institute. It is a clinker production line with a daily output of 2500 tons signed in December 2024. The factory is built according to the standard of "zero manual inspection", equipped with photovoltaic and alternative fuel systems, and promises low emissions. This is the first overseas full-stack intelligent cement line of SINOMA-CNBM consortium, 90% of the core equipment is designed and manufactured independently, and is expected to be put into operation in 2026, radiating the Southeast Mexico and Caribbean markets.

2025-09-28 09:58:43

On September 19, 2025, the million-ton new plant of China-Africa Cement Company in Edea, Coastal Province of Cameroon was put into operation. Before that, one Chinese kiln line has been put into operation, and another one will be put into operation. The production capacity of Chinese capital in Cameroon has expanded rapidly. Ten years ago, the cement market was monopolized by Cimencam. After the policy was loosened in 2015, foreign capital entered one after another, and the production capacity soared. At present, the country's total installed capacity exceeds 10 million tons, with an average annual demand of about 8 million tons, but the price is still high. Manufacturers say that because of the high cost of clinker imports, the Minister of Trade accused it of "tacit collusion". After the release of new kiln capacity, the pricing power game has just begun.

2025-09-26 16:36:13

Recently, Kenya's parliamentary trade committee ordered Tanzanian billionaire Munif to buy a stake in Portland, East Africa. He had planned to buy a 29.2% stake in Kalahari Cement at 27.30 shillings per share, which was accused of "selling state-owned assets at half a discount". Members questioned that the board of directors did not buy back, and the general manager said that the cash flow was sufficient to buy back. East Africa Portland's share price has risen sharply, but its market value is lower than its net assets, so it should not introduce external controlling parties at a discount. The regulator said it had no right to force a price adjustment, and the Competition Authority did not make a decision. If the deal is completed, Munif will become a major shareholder and control the two cement giants.

2025-09-22 11:42:07

From the first week of September 2025, Fancesa raised the ex-factory price of IP-40 and IP-30 bagged cement by 3 bolivianos each, which is the second price adjustment of the factory in 2025. The chairman of the board, Guido Calvo, said it was to "compensate for the cost" and that the output was still booked. But for builders, cement has risen by nearly 10 bolivianos in half a year, pushing up costs. The government's examination and approval is lengthy, and a large number of contractors are losing money to perform the contract, resulting in bankruptcy and termination of the contract. The president of the Construction Association called on the factory to renegotiate with the industry, otherwise the project shutdown would drag down the local economy.

2025-09-19 10:36:45

On September 19, 2025, the Guardian of Botswana reported that Dangote Cement, Africa's largest cement producer, announced a new plant in Botswana, expanding its business to the 12th country in Africa. The company chose Botswana partly to meet the challenges of the South African market, set up factories to serve the South African market and enhance Botswana's production capacity. This investment benefited from the coordination of Botswana Investment and Trade Center and local policy support. Dangote Cement operates in many countries, and this plant will consolidate its position in the African market and bring new impetus to Botswana's development.

2025-09-19 10:09:40

Czech PSP Engineering Company has signed the largest overseas cement general contracting order in Uzbekistan, and will build a new cement plant with an annual output of 1 million tons for local owners in Jizak, which will be delivered in early 2028 and will cover 5% of Ukraine's cement output after putting into operation. The project has two international "foreign aid", Turkish enterprises are responsible for the integration of process packages and key equipment, and Czech supporting enterprises undertake some modules. The funds are provided by the International Investment Fund, and the PSP collection is linked to the construction node. The project is the largest PSP project in Central Asia and the Middle East with the highest degree of technology integration, and will radiate to the surrounding market after being put into operation.

2025-09-18 09:34:38

On September 17, Sumitomo Osaka Cement announced a 15% capital injection into Philippine Phil Cement. The population of the Philippines is growing rapidly, the demand for infrastructure is booming, the growth rate of cement demand is in the forefront of Asia, and the market share of Phil Cement is considerable. After Sumitomo Osaka Cement restarted its export to the Philippines, the order gap was large, and this time it changed from "supplier" to "shareholder". After becoming a shareholder, it will introduce a number of technologies to help it build new demonstration lines and reduce carbon emissions. Japan's local cement demand has fallen six times in a row, and Sumitomo Osaka Cement has gone to sea in reverse, transforming excess capacity, exchanging technology for dividends, and laying the "second growth curve".

2025-09-18 09:04:47

Brazilian cement is mainly self-produced and self-sold, and the import and export volume is very small. In the first half of 2025, Brazil's cement production capacity is about 94 million tons, with a high degree of industry concentration. Among the top five cement enterprises, Votorantim Cimentos is the largest enterprise in China, accounting for 80% of the production capacity. During this period, the sales volume of cement in Brazil reached 32.029 million tons, an increase of 3.5% over the same period last year. On the basis of the recovery of sales volume in 2024, the cement industry achieved further growth, showing a good development trend.

2025-09-12 10:11:52

Recently, the price of cement in the suburbs of Senegal has risen significantly, rising to 68000 to 70000 CFA francs per ton, 3000 to 5000 CFA francs higher than before. Prices at the retail end also fluctuated significantly, with a bag of cement rising from 3250 CFA francs to 3500 CFA francs, and from 65000 to 68000 tons. Local dealers said that the price increase was due to the "ex-factory price increase", and the merchants said that the profit margin was compressed. Wholesalers revealed that, including freight, the cost of arrival per ton rose from 65000 to 70000, the price transmission was synchronized, and consumers paid for the increase in upstream costs.

2025-09-12 09:28:08

The Malian government announced a "strong economic recovery", but the soaring price of cement dragged the national treasury and the people's dream of building houses into a quagmire. The "price limit order" issued by the Minister of Industry and Commerce failed in the building materials market in Bamako, the capital, and the retail price was about 10% higher than official cap line. Compared with neighboring countries, the price of cement in Mali is high. Because of the inland disadvantage, tight foreign exchange reserves and lack of government control, "price limit" has become a slogan. Ordinary people stopped building houses, related practitioners went out of business, and the economy was affected. Previously, the effect of sugar regulation was not good, and people only hoped to buy low-cost cement.

2025-09-11 10:33:34

On September 8, 2025, President Nguema of Gabon announced a nationwide ban on the import of clinker from January 1, 2027. Gabon has lost its own clinker production capacity since 2014, and imported clinker has swallowed up a large amount of foreign exchange. The President called for the resumption of competitive local clinker production within one year, leaving a 365-day window for investors. Morocco, Turkey, Nigeria and other enterprises have relevant investment plans. The entry into force of the ban is conducive to stabilizing public works, saving foreign exchange and creating jobs, and whether the rotary kiln can be restarted in the next 15 months has attracted much attention.

2025-09-11 10:10:11

At the 4th Intra-African Trade Fair in 2025, Algerian Holcim El Djaza Djazaïr declared that it had accounted for 35% of the country's total cement exports, with annual shipments of about 3.4 million tons, more than 40% of which were exported to Africa. Around the "African Cement Hub", the company invested heavily to improve logistics and run through the industrial chain to reduce costs and increase revenue. Faced with the EU mechanism and the demand for green building materials, it has created a "low-carbon" growth curve and launched the "three green swordsmen". The company reiterated its intention to become a "leader in high value-added building solutions" and to be deeply involved in Africa's economic development.

2025-09-11 09:53:41

Morocco's construction industry continues to grow strongly. By the end of August 2025, the national cement delivery volume reached 9.63 million tons, an increase of 10.38% over the same period last year, indicating the simultaneous expansion of infrastructure and real estate projects. The demand structure is diversified, and distribution channels and ready-mixed concrete have contributed. In August, 1.34 million tons were delivered, an increase of 6.54% over the same period last year, and the continued growth was not affected by the season. Cement sales are in line with national projects such as the "2030 World Cup", which is a barometer of investment enthusiasm and confidence. Double-digit growth speeds up public and private projects, promotes employment and regional economic diversification.

2025-09-11 09:10:59

In the first half of 2025, the total output of cement in CIS countries was 50.4 million tons, an increase of 1.6% over the same period last year, with significant differences within the region. Russia accounted for more than 55%, but output fell by 7.7%, as weak demand and blocked exports dragged down regional growth. The Central Asian plate jumped collectively, with double-digit growth in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and other countries. The Caucasus region showed a trend of "one stability and two declines", with a slight decline of 4% in Azerbaijan and 18.1% in Armenia, mainly due to low demand, import shocks and equipment maintenance.

2025-09-10 09:24:50

In the first half of 2025, Iran's economic growth was sluggish and close to zero due to geopolitical tensions, international sanctions, currency devaluation and inflation pressures. The related housing and infrastructure investment sectors did not perform well, and cement consumption was affected. According to the data of Iran Cement Association, Iran's cement consumption from January to July was 34.559 million tons, down 7.3% from the same period last year, highlighting that under the complex situation, Iran's economic downturn has had a negative impact on the cement industry, and the overall economy and related industries are facing severe challenges.

2025-09-08 10:30:07

Senegal is a bright spot in West Africa's economy and is moving towards prosperity. The International Monetary Fund predicts that its GDP will grow by 8.4% in 2025, making it one of the fastest growing economies in sub-Saharan Africa, thanks to the development of the oil and gas industry and government investment in infrastructure. In the first half of 2025, Senegal's cement demand grew steadily, with a total increase of 4% year-on-year, reflecting the strong demand for construction. Although the domestic cement output decreased by 3.3% year on year, the market vitality remained unchanged. The decline in production may be related to costs and supply chains, with considerable long-term potential, and the government's strategic plan will promote infrastructure investment to support production.

2025-09-05 10:52:31

In September 2025, the price of cement in Pakistan was relatively stable. Although construction projects were blocked and transportation costs increased due to floods, the price of major brands only fluctuated slightly, with a price range of 1380-1430 rupees per bag. The price of each brand was different due to different positioning, and most companies competed at the price of 1400 rupees. In terms of sales, the growth momentum in August was slower than that in July, but still improved compared with the same period last year. The sales volume of cement in August was 3.097 million tons, an increase of 10.33%, the export volume was 749,723 tons, an increase of 22.13%, and the growth figures in July were stronger.

2025-09-04 09:29:59

Kenya's cement industry is undergoing a major structural transformation. At the end of 2024, Holcim Group withdrew, Amsons Group took over the majority of Bamburi Cement Company and planned to make new investments, and its affiliated company Kalahari Cement was approved to acquire part of Portland Cement in East Africa. Savannah Cement was also acquired by the consortium. Energy costs are a challenge, and some companies are looking for power solutions. In the first half of 2025, the output and consumption of cement increased by 17.3% and 22.1% respectively compared with the same period last year. In May, the output and consumption reached the stage peak. The demand growth was due to the stable demand in many fields and the high price of bagged cement, which did not lead to the expansion of new supply.

2025-09-04 09:20:48

Recently, the UK Mineral Products Association (MPA) said that cement production was "increasingly threatened" by rising energy, regulatory and labour costs. UK cement production in 2024 will be about half of what it was in 1990. The decline in production may undermine the government's ambitions for housing, infrastructure and other projects. Rising costs, changes in carbon tax policies and an increase in cheap imports are the main reasons. MPA called on the government to reduce electricity prices and help domestic production compete fairly. The Ministry of Commerce and Trade said it was increasing support for energy-intensive enterprises. In addition, problems such as reduced construction demand, rising costs and labor shortage also plague the construction industry.

2025-09-04 09:04:32

Recently, Holcim completed the divestiture of its Nigerian business and sold 83.81% of Lafarge Africa to Huaxin Cement for $1 billion. Lafarge Africa's market value on the stock exchange fell about 10% on Tuesday as a legal dispute affected investor sentiment. Despite its good results in the first half of 2025, CardinalStone raised its target price, but the stock price still showed a downward trend. The market is concerned about a lawsuit from a minority shareholder strategy consultancy, which accused Holcim of violating Nigerian law by selling its stake. In June, the court ordered the parties to maintain the status quo pending the outcome of the appeal. The transfer of a majority stake to Huaxin Cement has potential upside risks.

2025-09-03 11:37:49

Swiss cement giant Holcim has sold its Nigerian operations to Huaxin Cement for an equity value of $1 billion, pending regular and regulatory approvals. The head of Holcim Asia, Middle East and Africa said he was pleased to find Huaxin Cement as a reliable buyer, and that the proceeds from the sale could support capital allocation. The sale is part of Holcim's divestiture plan, which follows the sale of its Uganda and Tanzania businesses to Sarai Group and Anson Group respectively in 2023, and is aimed at consolidating its strategic focus in its core markets.

2025-09-03 11:27:54

Cimento Itamb Itambé, a 48-year-old company in Paraná, Brazil, is confident about the future of the construction industry. Recently, it invested 500 million reals to build a new cement kiln in Balsanova plant in Curitiba metropolitan area, which increased the annual production capacity by 600000 tons to 3 million tons per year. The new kiln has excellent energy efficiency and uses advanced equipment to reduce the use of fossil fuels and automate the process. This not only consolidates the company's supply capacity and market position, but also reflects its commitment to sustainable development, and also handles a large amount of industrial waste to help the development of its home state of Paraná.

2025-09-02 10:33:26

In the first half of 2025, the U.S. construction market slowed down as a whole due to factors such as high interest rates, labor shortages, rising material costs and tariff policies. Construction spending totaled $103 billion 610 million, down 2.2% from a year earlier. The decline in residential construction is the main reason, and private investment is cautious, which is basically the same as the same period. Nonresidential construction grew, driven by manufacturing and data centers. However, due to the uncertainty of tariff policy, more enterprises postpone projects, which to some extent hinders the further development of the construction market.

2025-09-02 10:08:34

Nuvoco Vistas Corp, a unit of India's Nirma Group, has announced an investment of 2 billion rupees to upgrade cement production capacity in East India. It is planned to add 4 million tons/year grinding capacity by the end of fiscal year 2027 through new grinding plants and bottleneck mitigation projects, which will be gradually realized in stages. In the next 18 months, East India's production capacity will increase from 19 million tons per year to 23 million tons per year, exceeding 20%. The goal is to reduce costs, improve utilization and expand scale. As of the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, the production capacity was considerable, the net profit in the quarter increased sharply, the sales volume increased by 6%, and the company was optimistic about long-term growth.

2025-09-02 09:43:12

Deputy Chief Minister of Economic Affairs Abdul Ghani Baladar attended the foundation laying ceremony of the third phase of the construction of the Ghazi Cement Plant in Baghlan Province recently launched by the Taliban in Afghanistan. The plant was built in the 1950s, after plans to expand production were shelved due to conflicts and funding problems. The production capacity of Phase I and Phase II is 400t/d and 1000t/d respectively, and the daily output will reach 5000 tons after the completion of Phase III. The National Development Corporation is responsible for the project, with an investment of 86.8 million US dollars, which is expected to be completed in 18 months. Baladar called this an important step in industrial development, which can help rebuild, stabilize prices, create jobs and reduce import dependence.

2025-09-01 10:18:14

In August 2025, large-scale protests and riots broke out throughout Indonesia, causing social unrest and unprecedented challenges for the cement industry. Previously, Indonesia's cement industry has been affected by infrastructure slowdown, weak demand and environmental pressure. The riots caused transport hubs to be blocked, affecting the supply of raw materials and the distribution of finished products, increasing production costs, delaying many projects and reducing construction demand. The stock market and bond market are under pressure, and the outflow of foreign capital delays the recovery of the industry. China's cement companies in Indonesia have also been hit. In the short term, the industry may decline and costs will rise. If the government quells the riots, it may take advantage of the rebound in infrastructure investment.

2025-09-01 09:55:26