18 April 2017
Peru: Peru’s cement production fell slightly to 2.35Mt in the first quarter of 2017 from 2.47Mt in the same period in 2016, according to data from ASOCEM, the Peruvian cement association. However, production in March 2017 rose slightly, after a period of falling monthly production figures since mid-2016. Despite this, total despatches fell by 6% to 2.3Mt in the first quarter. Exports of cement and clinker fell in the period, but imports of cement grew by 41% to 0.13Mt and imports of clinker grew by 2% to 0.13Mt.
Vietnam: Data from the General Department of Vietnam Customs reports that exports of cement and clinker rose by 11% year-on-year to 4.82Mt in the first quarter of 2016. Its value rose by 6.4% to US$169m. Bangladesh remained the biggest importer of cement and clinker from the country in the three-month period, accounting for 44.8% and 37.7% of Vietnam’s total clinker and cement exports in volume and value, respectively, according to the Viet Nam News newspaper. It was followed by the Philippines, Peru, Mozambique, Malaysia and Taiwan.
India: Jaiprakash Associates’ (JAL) US$2.58bn sale of cement plants to UltraTech is likely to be completed by May 2017. Manoj Gaur, the executive chairman of JAL, said that the majority of the payment would be used to pay of debts, according to the Times of India. The cement producer is selling integrated cement plants with a production capacity of 17.2Mt/yr and grinding plants with a capacity of 4Mt/yr.
India: A Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising of Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI), Telangana Real Estate Developers’ Association (TREDA), Builders Association of India (BAI), Telangana Builders Federation (TBF), Telangana Developers Association (TDA) and other small and big member groups has reacted angrily against a 60% increase in the price of cement in Telangana. The group has described the rise as ‘unjustified’ and has asked cement producers to rescind the increase, according to the Hindu newspaper. S Ram Reddy, president of CREDAI and chairman of the JAC said that fuel and power costs had not increased for cement producers. He added that the JAC had failed to obtain a response from the Cement Manufacturers Association on the issue. The developers are considering options including importing cement into the state from the international market. They are also planning to meet Prime Minister Modi with a request to constitute a body to regulate the cement industry.