Displaying items by tag: Government

Mexico: The Mexican Federal Economic Competition Commission (COFECE) has fined Cemex US$89,000 for failing to notify it of a transaction that exceeded the threshold for notification. COFECE also approved the transaction in question.

Cemex has the right to seek legal recourse against the fine.

Australia: Adbri is part of a consortium of eight Australian industrial manufacturers, developers and port operators collaborating with AGL Energy on a feasibility study for a green hydrogen plant at the site of the latter’s Torrens Island power plant in South Australia. AFR Online News has reported that any future hydrogen plant established by the partners would rely on solar and wind power, which has large potential in the region.

The South Australian government previously launched its first US$414m green hydrogen project in Whyalla in March 2022.

South Korea: A truck driver strike has ended after seven days. The Korea Herald newspaper has reported that the government has agreed to extend a freight rate-based minimum wage system. The total cost to the cement industry was US$70.6m,

Benin: A local government department covering the Atacora and Donga regions has started forcing the closure of shops and depots that are not following central government-mandated price controls. Other infringements include failure to issue purchasing invoices or display the price properly, according to La Nouvelle Tribune newspaper. The government has implemented controls on certain commodities, including cement and vegetable oil, in reaction to rising prices.

India: The Tamil Nadu Federation of Panchayat Presidents, an overarching organisation for local government leaders, has begun a protest against unlawful cement plant practices in the state. The New Indian Express newspaper has reported that the federation’s president Sellam Kadamban said that limestone mines and trucks are operating illegally, creating pollution and traffic collisions.

Argentina: The National Commission for the Defence of Competition (CNDC) has concluded an investigation into the cement industry with the finding that all four Argentinian cement producers colluded to maintain high prices between 2013 and 2018. Cementera Avellaneda, Holcim Argentina, Loma Negra and Petroquímica Comodoro Rivadavia (PCR) reportedly increased their sales by US$178m between 1 July 2017 and 30 June 2018 through cost overruns generated by their control of local markets.

The CNDC ordered the Portland Cement Manufacturers Association (AFCP) to refrain from distributing competitively sensitive information production, dispatches and imports information between its member companies.

US: The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) hosted chief executive officers (CEO)from across the global cement industry at its CEO Gathering in Atlanta, Georgia, on 9 June 2022. The event explored the best ways for the sector to progress towards net zero CO₂ emissions. Speakers included: UN special advisor on climate Selwin Hart, US Department of Energy assistant secretary for fossil energy and carbon management in the Brad Crabtree, architecture firm Gensler CEO Diane Hoskins, Chair of Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) executive chair Bjorn Otto and climate economist Gernot Wagner.

GCCA CEO Thomas Guillot said “To achieve net zero and enable the delivery of the sustainable built environment of the future, there needs to be ongoing engagement and deeper collaboration between our industry and government in the years ahead. Targeted government policy will be vital to removing barriers and to expediting our industry’s decarbonisation plans.”

Indonesia: The Indonesia government says that it will ask for compensation if the Philippines Tariff Commission extends tariffs on cement. The Manila Bulletin newspaper has reported that the government suggested that the fellow Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member state should take more targeted measures against any country responsible for cement dumping, in line with the bloc’s rules.

In 2019 – 2021, Indonesia exported 532,000t of cement to the Philippines, constituting 2.7% of the country’s cement imports. Vietnam, meanwhile, exported 15.8Mt (80%).

UK: The UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has granted Carbon Clean Euro701,000 under its Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Innovation 2.0 programme. Carbon Clean says that it will partner with energy engineering company Doosan Babcock and Newcastle University to develop carbon capture systems which apply non-aqueous solvent (NAS) and rotating packed bed (RPB) technology together for the first time. The partners seek to overcome the challenges of scale and cost in order to advance the widespread deployment of CCUS systems.

The CCUS Innovation 2.0 programme is part of the UK government’s Euro1.17bn Net Zero Innovation Portfolio scheme.

Tanzania: ARM Cement has repaid all creditors of Tanzanian subsidiary Maweni Limestone to which it owed money. The East African newspaper has reported that the group used the proceeds from its sale of Maweni Limestone to Huaxin Cement for US$102m to pay off the debts. It paid US$74.4m to creditors and US$4.6m to the Tanzanian tax authorities.

In its native Kenya, ARM Cement sold its assets to National Cement Company (NCC) for US$42.7m. It has paid secured creditors there US$42.6m of a total US$68.7m due. It also owed unsecured creditors US$98.4m.