simple. Keep the way you speak simple.
You're not an actor. Don't set up the plot. This lyric in
Xue Zhiqian's "Actor" is particularly appropriate to describe the current cement industry.
Price increase notices are sent out one after another, as if the spring of the industry is coming. But people in the circle all know that this kind of "price increase drama" has been repeated countless times over the years: the price increase letter is huge, the real landing is greatly discounted, and after the rise, it falls back rapidly, and the cycle is repeated, which is a one-man show without many audiences.
Up and down,
take the Pearl River Delta market for example, this script is not new. In March
this year, a number of enterprises in the region issued intensive price increase letters, launching the first round of price increases in the year. As we all know, the price increase basically failed, but the cement price fell in April , and by early May, the price index had fallen back to a lower position than before the price increase, which was a flash in the pan.
The story is not over yet. In the middle of July, the mainstream brands in the Pearl River Delta once again notified the increase of 20-30 yuan/ton for all varieties. This round of pushing up the market did not persist for half a month, and continued to rise again in August, and prices also gradually fell.
Push up, fall, push up again, fall again.
This is not a real industry synergy, but more like a show.
Involution is not the plight
of a cement industry. It must be admitted that involution is not unique to the cement industry, but a common reality faced by many manufacturing industries.
Steel, glass, photovoltaic and lithium batteries are all overcapacity, and the price war is fierce. In the first quarter of 2026, the average price of cement in China dropped by more than 20% compared with the same period last year, and a large number of enterprises fell into losses. Coal costs remain high, transportation costs continue to rise, and corporate profits are squeezed to almost the bottom.
Even if the loss, many enterprises still want to grab the share, the logic is very realistic: I do not sell at a lower price, others will sell at a lower price. Over
capacity is serious, demand continues to weaken, off-peak production and industry self-discipline have been called for year after year, and prices are still hovering at a low level for a long time. Where is the
root cause? Few people are willing to lay out their cards and face the real market situation frankly.
Writing here, I know very well in my heart that these appeals I wrote down actually have no effect at all. The plight of the industry will not be changed by an article. I also know that my voice can not change the pattern, at best, it is only a wordy and self-expression of insiders. If you don't say it, you will feel uncomfortable in your heart. If you write it out, you should also regard it as your own self-mockery.
Keep it simple. Keep it simple
. "Keep it simple. Keep it simple." There are only two words at the core of the
coordinated price increase: honesty. Send
less empty and lively price increase notices, and don't engage in those small actions of "you go up and I follow the trend, secretly reduce prices behind your back". Don't talk passionately about self-discipline at industry conferences and steal prices when you get back to the factory.
If you want to rise, you should implement it in a down-to-earth manner; if you want to limit production, you should implement it in a down-to-earth manner; if you want to bear the concession, you should put it on the surface.
Inventory, cost, sales pressure are spread out, calculate a clear account: how much production needs to be reduced, how much price increases, the industry can get out of the quagmire of collective losses. The price
can be raised, but please be sincere.
At present, there are indeed some favorable conditions: the cost of coal is rising; infrastructure projects are gradually resumed, and demand is marginally improved; the willingness of leading enterprises to take the initiative to stagger peak production is also increasing. The objective environment has given the soil for a sincere and coordinated price increase.
But numerous times in the past, the market has proved that no matter how good the external conditions are, people are not United, and everything is empty talk. Serious
inventory backlog, do not have to hard external claims hot sales; cost pressure, do not have to hide; market share is not dominant, do not always want to take advantage of the chaos in the market to grab volume.
Keep it simple.
If you want to cooperate, you should cooperate sincerely; if you want to raise the price, you should raise the price steadfastly.
Don't plot it. You're not an actor.
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