China: Anhui Conch’s sales revenue rose by 33% year-on-year to US$4.79bn in the first half of 2017 from US$3.60bn in the same period in 2016. Its sales volumes of cement and clinker rose by 4.6% to 134Mt. Its gross profit rose by 37% to US$1.48bn from US$1.08bn. The cement producer attributed its result to ‘significant’ increases in prices and continued discipline with production and operation costs.
By region the company reported particular increases in sales in East and Central China due to increased sales volumes and prices. In West China it increased its sales due to increasing market demand and the promotion of off-season production. South China was the company’s weakest region, with an increase of 14.3% in sales revenue, due to new production capacity.
During the reporting period Anhui Conch put seven new cement grinding plants into operation. Its Merek grinding plant in Indonesia has started operation and construction continues at plants Conch North Sulawesi in Indonesia, Battambang Conch Cement in Cambodia and Luangsprabang Conch Cement in Laos. Preliminary work for new plants in Russia, Laos and Myanmar is also in progress.