Displaying items by tag: Asia

Philippines: The Tariff Commission (TC) has recommended the imposition of a US$1.24/t safeguard duty on cement imports to protect the domestic industry from rising competition.

The commission said domestic cement qualifies as a ‘like product’ and directly competes with imports, which have been arriving in increased volumes. It concluded that the increase in imports had caused serious injury to local producers.

The proposed safeguard covers ordinary Portland cement type 1 and blended cement. It is designed as a temporary measure to provide relief and allow the local industry time to adjust to import pressures. The impact is expected to be greater on lower-priced shipments, as the equivalent ad valorem rate will depend on the import value. Cement imports from developing countries with de minimis volumes, including Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand will be exempt. The Department of Trade and Industry will determine whether new exporting countries qualify under this exemption. The commission also clarified that the safeguard is temporary and will be gradually liberalised, allowing competition to normalise over time.

Bangladesh: The Coast Guard has arrested 24 smugglers and seized 850 bags of cement being trafficked by boat from Bangladesh to Myanmar in exchange for drugs.

Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq said the Coast Guard’s Chattogram Base launched the operation on 30 September 2025 after receiving confidential intelligence, according to local press. Officers intercepted a transfer of cement from a cargo ship to a fishing boat in the Bay of Bengal, bypassing customs and taxes. Two boats involved in the smuggling were confiscated.

The Coast Guard noted that cement smuggling through waterways to Rakhine has intensified in recent months amid deteriorating relations between the two sides.

India: Dalmia Bharat, through its subsidiaries, has announced a strategic investment of approximately US$397m in Maharashtra and Karnataka. The company will set up a 3.6Mt/yr clinker unit and a 3Mt/yr grinding unit at its existing Belgaum plant in Karnataka, alongside a new greenfield split grinding unit of 3Mt/yr in Pune, Maharashtra. The projects, funded through a mix of debt and internal accruals, are expected to be commissioned by the fourth quarter of the 2027 financial year. Following completion, and factoring in ongoing 2.9Mt/yr expansions in Assam and Bihar, Dalmia Bharat’s installed capacity will rise to 55.5Mt/yr.

The Belgaum expansion will strengthen supply in southern Maharashtra and deepen the company’s reach in Karnataka, while the Pune plant will focus on the untapped western Maharashtra markets.

Puneet Dalmia, managing director and CEO of Dalmia Bharat, said “This investment is a significant step in our Phase II expansion strategy, bringing us closer to strengthening our position as a pan-India player and to reach our intermittent goal of 75Mt/yr capacity by the 2028 financial year. The increase in our production capacity is primarily to meet the growing infrastructure demand in Western India.”

Thailand: The Thai Cement Manufacturers Association (TCMA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the government of Saskatchewan in Canada, represented by the Ministry of Trade and Export Development, to strengthen cooperation in sustainable industrial development and decarbonisation. The agreement focuses on energy transition and advanced carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technologies, with potential pilot projects to be explored under the Saraburi Sandbox project. A joint working group will be established to drive implementation and progress will be reviewed annually.

Nopadol Ramyarupa, vice chair and acting chair of TCMA, said “This collaboration aims to accelerate the Thai cement industry’s progress toward achieving the Net Zero 2050 goal by facilitating collaboration on technological advancements on green energy transition and CCUS technologies. Furthermore, if a pilot project can be established in Saraburi Sandbox, it would be beneficial in supporting Thailand’s green economy. It could serve as a role model on industry decarbonisation and inspire the regional and beyond.”

Warren Kaeding, Minister of Trade and Export Development, Saskatchewan, said “This partnership demonstrates how Saskatchewan’s expertise in clean energy and innovation is creating global opportunities. The collaboration with TCMA provides not only an opportunity to share knowledge and experience with Thailand and ASEAN but also reinforces Canada–Thailand relations in advancing greenhouse gas reduction, a critical global agenda, alongside expanding trade and investment opportunities between our countries.”

India: Around 15t of illegal narcotic drugs, valued at US$902,000, were incinerated at Ultratech’s cement manufacturing plant in Khor, Neemuch district, Madhya Pradesh, as part of a major operation by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Nimish Agrawal said the drugs had been seized in about 200 cases registered across seven districts of the Ujjain range. He added that the contraband was destroyed in line with prescribed procedures.

China: Data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China shows a 5% year-on-year decline in cement production in the first eight months of 2025, to 1.11Bnt. Production was 148Mt in August 2025, down by 6% year-on-year but up by 1% month-on-month. In the previous month, July 2025, the country produced its lowest monthly volume of cement since 2009, at 146Mt. Market research agency S&P Global has reported that the decline was due to reduced domestic demand, precipitated by a prolonged real estate sector downturn and sluggish infrastructure investment.

A representative of a local cement retail company reportedly said "We expect a similar trend in 2026, with full-year cement production likely declining by another 5 – 8% year-on-year."

North Korea: State-controlled media has reported that the Sangwon Cement Complex has carried out its third quarterly national economic plan according to schedule. It said that the complex took measures to operate equipment at full capacity and ‘conducted the operation and command in a meticulous way.’ It reportedly increased production by 108% compared to the third quarter of 2024.

India: Noida International Airport (NIA) has become India's first large-scale project to utilise limestone calcined clay cement (LC3), a low-carbon alternative to traditional cement. In a statement, concessionaire Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) said LC3 was used extensively in the construction of the airport.

Developed for more than 10 years by researchers at IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, Swiss Development Cooperation, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Switzerland), Universidad de las Villas (Cuba), and Technology and Action for Rural Advancement (TARA), LC3 emits up to 40% less CO₂ than conventional Portland cement. It costs 25% less to produce, uses low-grade limestone and clays and requires lower energy for manufacturing while delivering comparable strength.

World: Market analysis agency S&P Global has collated the latest data on the global seaborne cement trade in the first half of 2025. Citing research by shipbroking house Howe Robinson Partners, it reported total volumes of 107Mt in the six-month period, up by 7% year-on-year from 100Mt in the first half of 2024. This is the largest global first-half volume recorded since 2021. Full-year seaborne cement trade volumes were 207Mt in 2024, up by 1.5% from 204Mt in 2023.

Vietnam and Türkiye remained the leading global cement exporters, with 16.1Mt and 12.5Mt, 15% and 12% of the total, respectively. Both countries slightly increased their export volumes. Next up in the rankings, Egyptian shipments rose by 14% to 10.9Mt, overtaking Iran, with 6.5Mt (down by 10%). Other rapid growth geographies included Indonesia, with 7.2Mt (up by 22%) and Pakistan, with 4.4Mt (up by 26%).

On the import side, despatches to the US fell by 1% to 11.4Mt, while Bangladeshi imports rose by 9% to 8.7Mt. West Africa was the largest regional market in terms of volumes. It imported 11.8Mt, up by 17%.

Pakistan: Listed cement producers closed the 2025 financial year (ending 30 June 2025) with their best results in several years, posting a combined after-tax profit of US$593m. This was an increase of 38% from US$431m in the 2024 financial year. Revenue for the sector rose by 7% to US$3.1bn, supported by stronger retention prices, cheaper coal and greater reliance on efficient power sources, which lifted gross margins to 31%. Cement dispatches increased by 2% to 37.4Mt for the year, reflecting a modest rebound in volumes alongside firmer pricing. In the fourth quarter of the 2025 financial year, sales grew 5% year-on-year, with dispatches up 4% to 9.3Mt.