Global Cement Weekly

Ecocem announced this week that it has achieved certification in the US for its ACT low-carbon cement technology. This follows CRH’s agreement to buy US-based Eco Material Technologies, a supplier of supplementary cementitious materials (SCM), which was revealed in late July 2025. These moves and others mark a flurry of activity by various companies in the US SCM sector in recent months.

Donal O’Riain, the founder and managing director of Ireland-based Ecocem, underlined the importance of certification in North America when he said that “The US is one of the largest cement markets in the world, and this certification will support integration into existing supply chains and offers a pathway for the sector to rapidly decarbonise.” The country imported just under a fifth, 19Mt, of its Portland and blended cement in 2024 according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Ecocem started out as a manufacturer of cements made using ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), a SCM, in the early 2000s. Its ACT technology was formally announced in 2022. It is described as a process that can make cements using “available fillers like limestone and local SCMs.” It is currently scheduled for a commercial launch in 2026, starting in France. In the US it is planning to build a terminal and mill at the Port of Los Angeles in California. This follows a previous attempt to build a slag grinding plant, also in California, in the 2010s.

CRH, another cement company with strong links to Ireland incidentally, said on 29 July 2025 that it had agreed to acquire Eco Material for US$2.1bn. The latter operates a network of fly ash, pozzolan, synthetic gypsum and green cement operations. It partners with electricity generators to process about 7Mt/yr of fly ash and 3Mt/yr of synthetic gypsum and other materials. As CRH’s CEO Jim Mintern put it, “this transaction secures the long-term supply of critical materials for future growth and puts CRH at the forefront of the transition to next generation cement and concrete.” The deal is expected to close by the end of 2025. In separate comments to analysts Mintern added that he expects the market for SCMs to double in the US by 2050.

Other players have also been busy in recent months. Amrize, for example, noted in its financial results for the second quarter of 2025 that it had broken ground on a new fly ash beneficiation facility in Virginia in the reporting period. Last week, Graymont and Fortera signed an agreement to produce Fortera’s ReAct low-carbon cement product by using Graymont’s existing lime production operations. Fortera runs a plant in Redding, California that takes captured CO₂ from the adjacent CalPortland cement plant and uses it to manufacture its own proprietary SCM. Back in April 2025 Buzzi Unicem said that it had partnered with Queens Carbon to produce a novel cement and SCM. The start-up was intending to build a 2000t/yr demonstration plant at Buzzi Unicem’s cement plant in Stockertown, Pennsylvania.

The backdrop to all of this attention on SCMs in the US are the cost of cement and sustainability. Using more SCMs reduces clinker usage in cement and it can reduce the cost. At the same time reducing the amount of clinker used decreases the amount of CO₂ emissions. So, for example, Ecocem says that its ACT technology can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 70% compared to conventional cement.

A report by Mckinsey on SCMs in the autumn of 2024 reckoned that growth in the cement market in North America was expected to be ‘robust’ in the next 15 years to 2050. However, the sector faces material, particularly clinker, and labour shortages. Enter SCMs! It went on to assert that much of the available stocks of GGBS and fly ash in the country are effectively used. Yet, traditional industrial SCMs such as GGBS, fly ash and limestone are anticipated to be available for longer than in Europe as industries such as steel manufacture and electricity generation will take longer to decarbonise. Hence companies such as Ecocem are preparing to import them, ones like CRH are cornering existing stocks and others such as Fortera and Queens Carbon are working on creating their own ‘virgin’ sources. At the same time the American Cement Association has been promoting the use of Portland Limestone Cement in the country.

All this helps to explain the interest in SCMs in the US right now. It’s a busy moment.

It’s been a sobering week for the cement sector in South Korea with the release of sales data for the first half of 2025.

Data from the Korea Cement Association (KCA) shows that local shipments of cement fell by 17% year-on-year to 18.8Mt in the first half of the year. The last time half-year output was reported to be below 20Mt was in 1992. The association noted that a ‘severe’ construction recession had continued from 2024. An uptick in demand for building materials is anticipated in the second half of 2025 due to postponed construction work but it is expected to be limited by a forthcoming government budget. The association said that output for the whole of 2025 is forecast to be “significantly below 40Mt unless effective construction stimulus measures are available.”

Graph 1: Cement shipments in South Korea, 2019 - 2025. Source: Korea Cement Association.

20Mt of cement output marks a dividing line in the South Korea-based market in recent decades. Previous economic low points over the last 30 years include the Asian Financial Crisis in the late 1990s and the 2008 financial crash triggered by the subprime market in the US. However, on neither occasion did half-year cement output in South Korea fall below 20Mt. The current situation is likely to be reflected in the financial results of the local manufacturers, when they are released later in August 2025, following poor first-quarter figures.

The general construction sector is facing a tough time, with construction companies facing a liquidity crunch as lending rules have been tightened. At the same time prices and labour costs are both reportedly up by 30% in the past three years. One reaction to this in Autumn 2024 was plans suggested by construction companies to import cement from China. This gained some support from the government, which said it was looking at ways to reduce costs, but then faced opposition in the National Assembly. It is unclear what has happened since then, although KCA figures show that imports of cement grew by 40% year-on-year to 384,000t in the second half of 2024.

The cement producers have reacted by shutting down production lines in some cases. In April 2025 local press reported that eight of the country’s 35 production lines had been shut down. Hanil Cement’s Danyang plant had reportedly suspended two of its six production lines. One additional kiln at Asia Cement’s Jecheon plant was preparing to be closed at this time, with the manager citing the difficulty of coping with a 70% capacity utilisation rate. This would have brought the site’s number of active lines down to two of four. Another unmentioned kiln also reportedly preparing to suspend operations would bring the total of inactive kilns up to 10.

As might be expected in this kind of business environment, mergers and acquisitions activity has started. Hanil Cement announced in mid-July 2025 that it was preparing to buy its subsidiary Hanil Hyundai Cement. The transaction is expected to cut costs of the newly combined company and yield other synergy effects.

With its high cement consumption per capita, the cement market in South Korea remains atypical compared to peer economies in East Asia and Europe. Consumption dropped after a peak in the 1990s but it remained high by international standards. Hence the outcry about a half-year cement output bigger than most European countries can manage in a year. The IMF predicts a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 0.8% in 2025 in South Korea, with a faster pickup of 1.8% in 2026. Construction levels are expected to remain sluggish into autumn and start recovering in 2026. General market trends in developed countries suggest that cement consumption will fall further in South Korea in coming decades, especially as sustainability trends embed. Cement sales in Japan, for example, have gradually been dwindling since the late 1990s. One question here is whether the cement market in South Korea can continue to hold its high level of consumption per capita. It remains to be seen.

China: Anhui Conch Cement has appointed Yu Shui as its General Manager. The position is analogous to a CEO at the company. He succeeds Li Qunfeng in the post.

Yu Shui, aged 48 years, has been working most recently as Secretary to the Board, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Anhui Conch Cement. He is also currently the chair of subsidiary Wuhu Conch Trading and holds directorship with a number of other associated companies. He joined the group in 1997. Notable positions include Director of the Sales Department, General Manager of Conch Cement in South Kalimantan, Indonesia and Deputy General Manager. He is a graduate of Anhui University.

Brazil: Cemento Apodi has appointed Liciani Morais as its Finance Director. She holds over 20 years of corporate financial experience working for companies including DelRio, Grupo Iquine and Mob Telecom, according to the Diário do Nordeste newspaper. She is a graduate in financial management from the Universidade Estácio and holds a master of business administration (MBA) qualification from Fundação Getulio Vargas.

Tanzania: Elsawy Ahmed has resigned as the manager of Twiga Cement’s Wazo Hill plant. He had been in post at the subsidiary of Heidelberg Materials since 2017. He is now working as a technical consultant.

Elsawy started his career as a Quality Control Supervisor for Assiut Cement in Egypt. He later worked for Cemex Egypt and became a plant manager for Cemex in Bangladesh in the early 2000s. He joined Italcementi in 2006 becoming Maintenance & Project Manager for subsidiary Suez Cement in the mid-2010s. Elsawy holds a degree in chemistry from Assiut University.

Spain: Cemex has appointed Oliver Chaddock as Trading Head for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia. He has worked for Cemex in trading roles since the late 2000s, becoming a planning analyst in 2008 and moving on to director-level trading roles from 2011. His last position was as Trading Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Chaddock holds an executive master of business administration (MBA) qualification from the IE Business School in Madrid.

US: Ecocem has obtained ASTM C1157 certification for its ACT low-CO₂ cement technology, confirming it meets or exceeds strength and durability benchmarks while reducing emissions and energy use. Unlike traditional cement specifications, the standard is performance-based, allowing for innovative formulations.

Founder and group managing director Donal O’Riain said “This is a significant moment for Ecocem and for low-carbon cement globally. Over the past 10 years our solutions have seen significant traction across Europe. The US is one of the largest cement markets in the world, and this certification will support integration into existing supply chains and offers a pathway for the sector to rapidly decarbonise through improved efficiency and without increasing costs or complexity.”

Ecocem is advancing its first North American project, a proposed terminal and milling operation at the Port of Los Angeles, aimed at establishing a reliable low-CO₂ cement supply chain in California. The company says that its low-carbon cement technology, ACT, cuts clinker content by up to 70% by using limestone and locally-sourced supplementary cementitious materials. The announcement follows recent regulatory approvals in France, new investment in production lines in Dunkirk, and partnerships with Bouygues, Vinci and Titan Group.

US: Supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) producer Eco Material Technologies has published its 2024 Sustainability Report, detailing the measures it has employed to reduce its environmental impact over the year. The producer said that its SCM displaced 5% of US cement consumption, avoiding 5.5Mt of CO₂ emissions. The company diverted 6.2Mt of ash from landfill and harvested a further 0.5Mt, reducing water use by 7.57bn litres compared to conventional materials. It produced 73,292t of ‘green’ cement, avoiding over 65,000t of CO₂, and aims to double recycled material use to 20Mt by 2030.

Chief executive officer Grant Quasha said “We're proving that domestic fly ash is not only a powerful climate solution, but also a resilient and scalable one. The infrastructure transformation is already underway, and we're proud to be leading it.”

Eco Material Technologies operates 125 sites in 42 states and employs 1100 people.

Peru: National cement despatches rose by 6% year-on-year to 1.1Mt in July 2025 and by 2% over the past 12 months, according to the Asociación de Productores de Cemento (ASOCEM). Cement production grew by 6.5% year-on-year to 0.97Mt, while clinker output fell by 22% year-on-year to 0.69Mt. Cement exports rose by 28% year-on-year to 13,300t, and clinker exports fell by 12% compared to July 2024 to 32,600t. Cement imports dropped by 63% compared to the previous corresponding period to 8000t, while clinker imports grew by 81% to 85,000t.

Brazil: Cement sales rose by 3% year-on-year to 6.1Mt in July 2025, according to the National Cement Industry Union (SNIC). Sales for the first seven months of 2025 totalled 38.2Mt, up by 4%, driven by demand from the real estate sector and a strong job market.

SNIC reported that 3.25Mt of waste were co-processed in the year to date, avoiding 3.4Mt of CO₂ emissions. It said that the cement industry could be ‘indirectly affected’ by US President Trump’s tariffs. The sector also faces challenges from exchange rate fluctuations, which could increase the cost of cement production.

Brazil: Votorantim Cimentos reported sales of US$1.38bn in the second quarter of 2025, up by 5% year-on-year. Global cement sales reached 9.3Mt, up by 3% year-on-year. Consolidated earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 5% year-on-year to US$331m. Net profit grew by 250% to US$331m, supported by improved operations, tax gains and the divestment of Moroccan assets.

In Brazil, sales rose by 8% year-on-year to US$643m, while EBITDA fell by 2% to US$102m compared to the previous corresponding period due to higher variable costs. In North America, sales grew by 3% year-on-year to US$441m, with EBITDA up by 10% to US$134m, aided by acquisitions. In Europe and Asia, sales rose by 3% year-on-year to US$220m, while EBITDA increased by 32% to US$73m on reduced variable costs. In Latin America, sales rose by 20% year-on-year to US$52m and EBITDA by 92% to US$11m.

Global CEO Osvaldo Ayres said “We ended the second quarter with solid results, supported by our business diversification and portfolio balance between developed and emerging markets. In line with our strategic mandate, we continued to make investments in competitiveness, decarbonisation and new businesses, despite an environment that was volatile and required a cautious approach.”

Global chief financial officer Antonio Pelicano said “In this second quarter, we announced the completion of the sale of our Moroccan assets, which, combined with our previously announced divestment in Tunisia, reinforced our strategy of geographic diversification and capital allocation. We continue to have a robust cash position to support the execution of our strategy.”

Russia: Cemros has proposed limiting Belarusian cement imports to 1.5Mt/yr, citing rising import volumes from Belarus, Iran and Kazakhstan, despite a stagnant market. The company said current imports are equal to the annual output of 2-3 cement plants, while underutilised Russian producers are reducing working hours and halting production.

The Cemros press service said “In the short term, a fair solution would be to fix cement import volumes at the levels seen before the introduction of preferential mortgages, namely a ceiling of 1.5Mt/yr of cement products.”

This comes after Cemros announcing on 8 August 2025 the implementation of a four-day working week from 1 October 2025, due to falling demand and increasing imports. On the same day, industry association Soyuzcement proposed introducing five-year anti-dumping measures, noting Belarus accounts for 69% of imports, Iran 20% and Kazakhstan 9%.

Cemros forecasts that 2025 cement consumption could fall by 10–15% year-on-year in 2025 to 57–60.3Mt. In January–June 2025, Russia produced 27.2Mt of cement and consumed 28.4Mt, including 1.83Mt of imports. Soyuzcement predicts that imports could reach up to 5Mt/yr in the medium term, up from 3.74Mt in 2024.

Türkiye: OYAK Cement reported sales of US$574m in the first half of 2025, with earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of US$140m and a net profit of US$88m.

Vice chair of the board and CIMPOR global chief financial officer Eralp Tunçsoy said “As of the first half of 2025, we have realised an investment expenditure of US$69m. With our investments, we are strengthening our leading position in the cement sector. We plan to reap the rewards of the high-value investments we have recently made in energy efficiency and sustainability in the coming years.”

Tunçsoy said “Despite the ongoing uncertainties in global markets, we are determinedly continuing our efforts to increase our footprint in the global cement market. We are present in all markets outside of our Turkish operations with our CIMPOR brand and are working to open new export channels.”

Pakistan: Fauji Cement posted a record net profit of US$46.8m for the 2025 financial year, up by 62% from US$28.8m in 2024. Annual revenues reached US$314m, an 11% year-on-year increase, supported by a 6% rise in despatch volumes. For the fourth quarter of the 2025 financial year, the company reported earnings of US$17.3m, reflecting a 232% year-on-year rise and an 83% quarter-on-quarter increase.

Jamaica: Caribbean Cement produced a record 93,450t of clinker and 109,682t of cement in July 2025, one month after completing a US$41m plant expansion and efficiency upgrades, according to the Jamaican Gleaner newspaper. The figures surpassed previous records of 89,600t and 103,869t respectively, a combined rise of over 9600t.

Managing director Jorge Martinez said “This is an encouraging achievement for Caribbean Cement and for Jamaica. This increase in clinker and cement production clearly indicates that our investment strategy is working. We are now in a stronger position to meet local demand by reducing our reliance on imports. At the same time, we are better positioned to explore export opportunities.”

Afghanistan: The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum announced the start of work on five cement plants in Kandahar, Herat, Parwan, Jawzjan and Logar with a total investment of US$750m, according to Ariana News. Some of these facilities are expected to start production later in 2025 or early 2026. Once operational, these plants will enable the country to produce 15,000t/day of cement, raising national output to 5.5Mt/yr and potentially allowing for export to nearby countries. The news outlet reported that currently 90% of the cement available domestically is imported.

Saudi Arabia: Cement sales by the country’s 17 producers rose by 21% year-on-year to 13.1Mt in the second quarter of 2025, according to Al Yamama Cement. Local demand grew by 23% and accounted for 97% of total despatches, while exports fell by 16% to account for 3% of sales.

Al Yamama Cement led the market with 1.93Mt of local sales, followed by Saudi Cement with 1.36Mt, Qassim Cement with 1.14Mt and Yanbu Cement with 1.00Mt. Saudi Cement topped exports with 376,000t sold, ahead of Najran Cement with 50,000t and Eastern Province Cement at 5000t. Cement expert and CEO at consultancy firm A³&Co Amr Nader said “East Africa and Yemen have seen rising local production, such as capacity expansions in Kenya and the reactivation of plants in Ethiopia, alongside aggressive pricing from Turkiye and Iran.”

Clinker production grew by 13% year-on-year to 14.8Mt, with Saudi Cement producing 2.15Mt. Clinker inventories rose by 3% from 2024 to 134Mt by the end of June 2025, led by Southern Province Cement with 20.2Mt. Clinker exports increased by 39% year-on-year to 1.63Mt. Key markets included Bangladesh, Kenya, Benin, Ghana and Yemen.

India: Star Cement reported a standalone net profit of US$2.76m in the first quarter of the 2026 financial year from April - June 2025, compared to a net loss of US$1.50m in the same period in 2024. Sales rose by 13% to US$62.15m from US$54.81m. Operating profit rose by 401% to US$11.44m from US$2.28m previously.

Mexico: Moctezuma inaugurated a US$12m alternative fuels storage system at its Tepetzingo cement plant in Morelos, after two years of engineering, planning and execution. The facility will process over 150,000t/yr of waste, including end-of-life tyres, municipal solid waste and non-recyclable materials, which will replace fossil fuels in cement production, with a goal of 30% substitution by 2030. The company said that the benefits of the project include saving thousands of tonnes of waste from landfill and mitigating methane emissions.

The producer, the Morelos government and the Ministry of Sustainable Development are also developing a circular economy centre in Jiutepec with an additional investment of US$1.6m. The facility will collect, shred and convert up to 3000t/month of tyres into alternative fuels.

India: The first freight train has arrived in Kashmir carrying 1400t of cement from Rupnagar, Punjab, according to the Times of India newspaper. The 21-wagon train covered 600km in under 18 hours, hauled by an electric WAG-9 locomotive. Northern Railways said the arrival demonstrates the capability of the Chenab and Anji bridges and will enable faster bulk movement of supplies to the region. Officials said the service will improve supply chains, decrease transport costs and boost industrial activity to support infrastructure projects.

Europe: Capsol Technologies has signed a contract to deliver a feasibility study evaluating the use of its CapsolEoP® (End-of-Pipe) carbon capture technology at a European lime plant, with the potential to capture several hundred thousand tonnes of CO₂ annually. This marks Capsol’s first project in the lime sector.

Chief business development officer Johan Jungholm said “This is an important milestone in our mission to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors like lime production and represents our first project within this industry. Initial assessments indicate that CapsolEoP® would be particularly suited for carbon capture in lime production due to the energy-efficient design of the technology – featuring low energy consumption and operating without the need for external steam.”

The European Lime Association targets carbon capture from 5–10% of kiln-related emissions by 2030, with full capture by 2050.

US/Canada: Martin Marietta Materials signed a definitive agreement with Quikrete Holdings to exchange its Midlothian cement plant, related terminals and North Texas ready-mixed concrete assets for aggregates operations with a capacity of 20Mt/yr in Virginia, Missouri, Kansas and Vancouver, and US$450m in cash. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.

Chair and CEO of Martin Marietta Ward Nye said “Following a thorough evaluation, we believe that exchanging our remaining cement plant and related ready-mixed concrete operations for core aggregates assets and pursuing accretive bolt-on acquisitions best positions the company for long-term earnings growth.”

US: Amazon and Brimstone have announced successful third-party test results for Brimstone’s lower-CO₂ ordinary Portland cement (OPC), which meets ASTM C150 requirements using Amazon slab mix designs. The companies will continue testing through 2025 and 2026. On the basis of the successful tests, Amazon has signed a commercial agreement to reserve annual volumes of OPC and supplementary cementitious materials from Brimstone’s upcoming plant in Oakland, California.

Saudi Arabia: Southern Province Cement recorded net profits of US$11.2m in the first half of 2025, down by 59% year-on-year from US$27.7m. Revenues fell by 11% to US$111m from US$124m in the first half of 2024. In the second quarter of 2025, profits dropped by 50% year-on-year to US$4m, while revenues declined by 9% to US$52m. Quarter-on-quarter, profits fell by 44% from US$7.2m and revenues by 11% from US$59m.

Vietnam: The National Statistics Office reported cement production of 105Mt in the first seven months of 2025, up by 15% year-on-year. Output in July 2025 rose by 22% year-on-year to 16.5Mt. Vietnam produced 184Mt of cement in 2024, up by 3.5% on 2023.

US: Amrize has reported financial results for the second quarter of 2025, noting its successful spin-off and listing of Amrize on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and ‘resilient’ results.

Amrize reported sales of US$3.22bn, down from US$3.24bn in the second quarter of 2024. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell to US$947m from US$1bn previously. Net income dropped to US$428m from US$473m.

Building materials sales fell to US$2.25bn from US$2.27bn. Cement volumes fell by 6%. Amrize said it was a “resilient performance in a challenging environment with inclement weather in the quarter.” It said that public sector spending had resulted in steady infrastructure demand during the quarter.

The company will add 0.66Mt/yr of cement capacity and improve manufacturing efficiency by the end of 2025 at the company’s flagship cement plant in Missouri and increase capacity by 0.3Mt/yr at the St. Constant cement plant in Quebec. It also broke ground on a new fly ash beneficiation plant in Virginia to enable the use of recycled ash as a supplementary cementitious material.

Jan Jenisch, chair and CEO, said "We successfully listed Amrize on the NYSE on 23 June 2025 and we now begin our growth journey as Amrize in a position of strength, ready to serve our customers as the partner of choice for the professional builders of North America. In the second quarter, we successfully navigated a challenging environment, generating stable revenue and strong margins showing the resilience and strength of our business and market positions."

Ireland: CRH reported second quarter 2025 sales of US$10.2bn, up by 6% from US$9.7bn in 2024, driven by acquisitions and commercial execution despite slowdowns due to inclement weather. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 9% year-on-year to US$2.5bn. Net income grew by 2% year-on-year to US$1.3bn.

CEO Jim Mintern said “Our strong second quarter performance was driven by favourable underlying demand, disciplined commercial management and further contributions from acquisitions. CRH's proven strategy continued to drive higher sales and profits, while our robust balance sheet and financial capacity enabled us to allocate approximately US$3bn to growth investments and capital returns year-to-date. We completed 19 acquisitions year-to-date and continue to see an active pipeline of opportunities to further strengthen our market-leading positions in attractive growth markets. Underlying demand in our key end-use markets remains positive and we are pleased to raise our guidance for 2025.”

Chile: cbb (formerly Cementos Bío Bío), has announced a binding agreement to sell all of its shares to Belgium-based producer Carmeuse, which will launch a tender offer for 100% of the shares of the company ‘no later than 13 August 2025’, according to Noticias Financieras. Shareholders representing 64.57% of the shares signed the Agreement to Tender, obliging them to transfer their holdings to Carmeuse subsidiary Carmel Holdings. The offer will value the company at US$505m, equivalent to US$1.91/share.

Carmeuse specialises in lime and limestone derivatives and operates 90 production sites worldwide. The acquisition aligns with its interest in cbb’s lime production through subsidiary Bío Bío Cales, which operates plants in Antofagasta and Copiapó.

The announcement of the sale comes after a race for control of the company at the end of 2024. In December 2024, Peru-based Yura acquired 0.81% of shares through a public offer, increasing its stake to 20.75%. Mississippi Lime Company also submitted a non-binding offer for the company for US$1.89/share in May 2024, but later withdrew.

Russia: Cemros will transition to a four-day work week across its plants from 1 October 2025 in response to declining cement consumption and rising imports. The producer said the part-time regime aims to preserve jobs and will retain the ‘full social package’, according to the local Construction Business News Agency. It will reverse the measure if the construction industry improves.

Cemros said the change is a “forced, but balanced measure aimed at long-term preservation of stability and social balance during a period of instability.” The producer previously suspended operations at its Belgorod cement plant due to lower profitability and increased imports.

Ivory Coast: Gebr. Pfeiffer will supply an MVR 3070 R-2 vertical roller mill to Ciments de Côte d'Ivoire (CIMCI) for clay grinding at its cement plant. The mill will produce 62t/hr of clay at ≤10% R 0.090mm for use in calcined clay cement. The order was placed by China-based contractor CBMI, which is managing the engineering, procurement and construction contract and will also supply the suspension calcination plant. The mill is scheduled to begin operation at the end of 2026.

India: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the 100% acquisition of Jaiprakash Associates by Dalmia Cement (Bharat). The transaction is part of a corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016.

Dalmia Cement (Bharat) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dalmia Bharat, the ultimate parent of the Dalmia Bharat Group.

US: The government has imposed a 20% import tax on cement from Vietnam, effective from 1 August 2025, doubling the previous 10% rate, according to the Vietnam Cement Association. It said that the move would have a significant impact on cement exporters, as Vietnam is the second largest cement supplier to the US, after Türkiye. It also said that the higher tariffs would now lead to costs being passed on to consumers, with increasing cement prices in the US expected.

Argentina: Cement consumption reached 0.88Mt in July 2025, a 10% increase compared to June 2025, although it remained 3% lower than July 2024, according to data from the Asociación de Fabricantes de Cemento Portland (AFCP). Despatches totalled 0.89Mt, down by 3% year-on-year but up by 9% month-on-month.

Exports fell to 3502t in July 2025 from 5250t in June 2025, while imports increased to 312t from 147t the previous month. Accumulated consumption for the first seven months of 2025 stood at 5.66Mt, up by 10% from the same period in 2024. Despatches for the first seven months of 2025 reached 5.70Mt, marking a 10% increase year-on-year.

Saudi Arabia: City Cement says that the Capital Market Authority (CMA) has declined to approve its proposed acquisition of Umm Al Qura Cement. The decision was reportedly due to a lack of certain regulatory requirements. In a market statement City Cement said that it was committed to full regulatory compliance and would consider its options regarding resubmitting the offer.

City Cement announced in late 2022 that it was preparing to buy Umm Al Qura Cement. It then started taking action towards the transaction in late 2024 onwards.

Japan: Taiheiyo Cement says it started using an artificial intelligence-based (AI) ship allocation optimisation system in May 2025. Software company Grid provided the technology for the project. The companies say that this is the first such application in the domestic cement industry.

The new ship allocation system analyses large volumess of transportation data and generates optimal ship allocation plans while considering various constraints. It is intended to: reduce transportation costs such as fuel; optimise courses and loading efficiency, with an expected 10% reduction of fuel consumption at the planning stage; enhance inventory management; and reduce planning time by more than 50% compared to manual planning methods.

Norway: thyssenkrupp Polysius will supply the kiln system for SMA Mineral’s quicklime plant, designed to operate without CO₂ emissions using SaltX’s electric calcination technology. The pilot facility is scheduled for completion in 2027, and will produce 40,000t/yr of quicklime. The project has received €24m in funding from Norwegian state enterprise Enova.

thyssenkrupp Polysius CEO Christian Myland said “We are proud to contribute to this landmark project that sets a new standard for sustainable lime production. Our collaboration with SMA Mineral and SaltX Technology demonstrates how industrial partnerships can accelerate the transition to net-zero emissions. This project is a testament to our commitment to engineering solutions that drive decarbonisation.”

The partnership between SaltX Technology and thyssenkrupp Polysius follows the signing of a Letter of Intent in February 2025.

Brazil: Votorantim Cimentos announced a US$54.5m investment in the state of Mato Grosso, covering expansions and modernisation at its Cuiabá and Nobres plants. Construction will begin in 2025 and finish by late 2026, creating over 150 direct and indirect jobs in the state while retaining more than 700 existing positions.

At Nobres, a new cement mill will boost capacity by 60% from 0.75Mt/yr to 1.2Mt/yr, and the expansion will also add a new storage warehouse and logistics infrastructure. Votorantim Cimentos’ sustainable waste management arm, Verdera, will install a used tyre shredding facility at the Cuiabá site, supplying its kilns with co-processed fuel.

Global CEO Osvaldo Ayres Filho said the investments will “Increase our competitiveness and our production and storage capacity, and improve our efficiency to better serve our customers and the consumer market, while also reducing CO₂ emissions.”

The expansions are part of a comprehensive investment programme by the company, focused on modernisation, capacity growth, competitiveness and decarbonisation. Announced in early 2024, the plan includes US$909m in investments to be deployed by 2028.

India: JSW Cement has priced its US$409m initial public offering (IPO) between US$1.58 - US$1.67/share. The company will allocate US$91m to partly fund a new integrated cement facility in Nagaur, Rajasthan and US$59.2m for repayment or prepayment of existing borrowings, according to Mint news. The remaining funds will be used for general corporate expenditures.

Venezuela: The cement industry increased output by 14% year-on-year in the first half of 2025, attributed to ‘strategic alliances’ between the public and private sectors, plant modernisation and new infrastructure projects, according to Agencia Venezolana de Noticias.

Minister of Industry and National Production Alex Saab said “Each bag of cement produced is an additional step to productive development, the construction of houses, schools, hospitals and works that benefit the people.”

South Korea: Domestic cement sales dropped by 17% year-on-year to 18.9Mt in the first six months of 2025, their lowest level in this period since 1992, according to the Korea Cement Association. After peaking at 26Mt in 2023, sales fell by 7.16Mt (27.5%) in two years, driven by a prolonged recession in the construction industry and reduced social overhead capital spending.

A Korea Cement Association official said “The sense of crisis in the cement industry is reaching its worst. Although we have already entered crisis management, it will be difficult to achieve results unless highly effective measures to stimulate the construction economy are introduced. We expect domestic cement sales this year to fall significantly below 40Mt.”

Domestic cement companies such as Sampyo Cement, Ssangyong C&E, Hanil Cement, Asia Cement and Sungshin Cement are expected to see their businesses deteriorate further when results are released in mid-August 2025. Strengthened environmental regulations are also adding pressure to the sector.

Kenya: Kalahari Cement will spend US$5.57m to acquire a 29% stake in East African Portland Cement (EAPC) from Associated International Cement and Cementia Holding, making it one of the largest shareholders. Kalahari will purchase a combined total of 26.3 million shares from the two parties. The deal, priced at US$0.21/share, is subject to several regulatory approvals.

Kalahari is a Kenyan-incorporated investment vehicle, backed by Pacific Cement (90%) and Comercio Et Consiel (10%). It currently has no direct stake in EAPC but is affiliated with Bamburi Cement, which owns 12.5%. EAPC operates an integrated cement plant near Nairobi.

Pakistan: Cement despatches rose by 30% year-on-year to 3.99Mt in July 2025 from 3.07Mt in July 2024, according to data from the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA). Local sales grew by 18% to 2.98Mt during the period, while exports increased significantly, by 84%, to 1.01Mt from 0.54Mt previously.

An APCMA spokesperson said “The new fiscal year started on a positive note in spite of disturbing weather conditions in most parts of the country.” The APCMA expressed hope for continued momentum for the rest of 2025, supported by improved macroeconomic indicators.

North Macedonia: Titan subsidiary Cementarnica Usje recorded a 22% year-on-year drop in net profit to €12.3m in the first half of 2025, according to financial statements released. The company said that its operating revenue fell by 9% to €47m in the period.

Canada/US: Heidelberg Materials North America has signed a binding purchase agreement to acquire construction materials company Burnco Rock Products’ one rail-served cement terminal and six aggregates sites in Edmonton, Alberta. Chair of the managing board Dominik von Achten said “With our latest acquisition, we are significantly expanding our aggregates business in an attractive market as we continue on our ambitious growth path in North America.”

Chief executive officer of Heidelberg Materials North America Chris Ward said “We look forward to welcoming 200 Burnco employees and their valued customers to Heidelberg Materials.”

The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close by the end of 2025.

Uzbekistan: Cement plants in Uzbekistan produced 9.16Mt of Portland cement during the first half of 2025, according data from the National Statistics Committee (NSC). The NSC reported that this was 18.2% more than in the first half of 2024, when 7.74Mt was produced. First half production has now increased by nearly 60% in just two years, with just 5.73Mt produced in the first half of 2023.

Costa Rica: Holcim Costa Rica has issued its first sustainability report, which states that it reduced CO₂ emissions by 19% between 2018 and 2024. During the last year, the company prevented the release of more than 4600t of CO₂ thanks to improvements in thermal efficiency. It also processed more than 72,000t of municipal and industrial waste as energy or alternative fuel in cement production and reused more than 90% of the industrial water consumed at its cement plant. It reported that it has reached gender equality within its executive team, with 50% female and 50% male leadership.

Holcim Costa Rica’s 2030 goals include achieving a 32% reduction in primary CO₂ emissions from cement plant operations, a 5% reduction in electricity consumption and a 21% reduction in logistics emissions, while reaching a net positive impact on biodiversity, and reducing the use of fresh water.

North Korea: The Sangwon Cement Complex has reported that it ‘successfully fulfilled its economic plan for July 2025,’ following an overhaul of its No. 1 cement production which is reported to have increased its capacity. This includes an upgrade to the microalloying process used to cast components for the plant, which has enabled longer service life for components and reduced costs.

Local press reported that the plant was ‘intensifying the drive for increased production to send more cement to the forefronts of socialist construction.’

Ivory Coast: Dangote Cement has announced the imminent commissioning of its 3Mt/yr grinding plant in Ivory Coast, which it says will take place in the third quarter of 2025. The company says that the investment is part of its drive to enhance its regional presence in West Africa. The company’s CEO Arvin Pathak noted that the plant will streamline and provide flexibility to Dangote’s exports in West Africa, which grew by 18.2% in the first half of 2025.

Dangote Cement is Africa’s largest cement producer, with a capacity of 48.6Mt/yr. It already operates in more than 10 African markets, including Tanzania, South Africa, Ethiopia, Cameroon, the Republic of Congo and Ghana.

Spain: FCC recorded net attributable profit of €80.7m in the first half of 2025, 71% lower year-on-year than the €279m for the same period of 2024. The group explained that the reduction was due to the financial spin-off of its cement and real estate divisions (now Inmocemento) and unfavourable exchange rate fluctuations. Between January and June 2025, FCC's consolidated net revenue amounted to €4.56bn, a 7.6% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

Germany: Heidelberg Materials revenue grew by 4% year-on-year to €10.4bn in the first half of 2025 from €9.99bn in the same period in 2024. Its result from current operations before depreciation and amortisation (RCOBD) rose by 5.6% to €1.93bn from €1.83bn. By region revenue and RCOBD rose everywhere except for Pacific Asia and North America respectively.

Dominik von Achten, chair of Heidelberg Materials, said “Next to price adjustments, our strict cost management has proven particularly effective in the second quarter. Our ongoing Transformation Accelerator initiative is fully on track and has helped us to grow our earnings once again with further increasing cost savings… Even though demand is still volatile in some regions, we expect that stabilisation in our core markets is continuing.”

The group opened the world's first industrial-scale carbon capture and storage unit at its Brevik cement plant in Norway in June 2025. Production also started in May 2025 at its calcined clay plant joint-venture in Ghana. In July 2025 the group commenced operations at an industrial pilot plant for enforced carbonation in Górażdże, Poland.