Displaying items by tag: Shortage

The Gambia: The managing director of Jah Oil, Momodou Hydara, has attributed the ongoing cement shortage in the country to external constraints, including the shallow channel at the Port of Banjul and weather-related disruptions to operations. Hydara said that large vessels cannot dock at the port, and that smaller boats are facing delays due to adverse weather conditions. The shortage has disrupted construction activity and increased retail prices of cement across the country. The shortage has also been attributed to the government's April 2024 decision to increase import tariffs on bagged cement from Senegal.

Hydara said that Jah Oil has sufficient capacity to meet domestic demand. “As we speak, we have two ships at sea carrying 55,000t and 59,500t of cement each, and another carrying 55,000t en route to Banjul,” he said. The two ships contain approximately three million bags of cement, which would cover the monthly consumption of 30,000t. To ease pressure on port operations, Jah Oil has acquired two seagoing vessels, each with a 4000t capacity, to help offload cement from larger ships offshore.

Jah Oil is investing in its production capacity, with a new plant in Farafenni producing 100,000 bags per day, while another in Bafuloto, which can produce 200,000 bags per day, is nearing completion.

Syria: The country is relying on Iraq and nearby countries for fuel and clinker imports to operate its cement plants amid an ongoing fuel oil shortage, according to General Company for Cement and Building Materials head Mahmoud Fadila.

Fadila told state media that plants have shifted to coal temporarily and are importing clinker from Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye to maintain local supply. Syria currently produces 10,000t/day of cement, or 3.6Mt/yr, far short of the 8-9Mt/yr needed for reconstruction.

In October 2025, Damascus approved a major investment from Iraq’s Vertex Group to rehabilitate and expand the third line at the Hama Cement Plant. The project will raise its capacity from 3300t/day to 11,000t/day with the addition of a new 6000t/day line.

The Gambia: The Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment (MoTIE) has confirmed that Portland cement is now readily available, and that the market has returned to a stable state after recent disruptions, according to The Voice Gambia newspaper. According to the MoTIE, the shortages resulted from re-negotiations of international supply contracts following the imposition of new US tariffs.

MoTIE confirmed that cement inventories are as follows: Jah Multi Industries holds 54,457t, Salam Cement 59,000t and Gacem 21,000t. Scheduled shipments in June 2025 include 117,600t for Jah Multi Industries on two separate dates, 30,000t for Gacem across two shipments and 38,000t for Salam Cement on 30 June 2025. MoTIE said the government is confident that cement supply will meet market demand without disruption.

Bolivia: Fábrica Nacional de Cemento (FANCESA) will temporarily halt production due to a diesel shortage, which it attributed to the country’s ‘difficult economic, political, and social situation’, according to La Razón newspaper.  The company said it had not received supplies since mid-May 2025. In a statement, it said that it faces a “severe restriction on the supply of diesel, a fundamental element for the operation of our production equipment and for the transportation of cement.”

The producer added that it had written to Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos and the National Hydrocarbons Agency requesting urgent fuel delivery. It expressed apologies to customers and partners and said it would resume operations immediately once fuel supplies returned. The government said the shortage stemmed from roadblocks preventing the transport of diesel and gasoline.

Guinea: Cement has become scarce across Guinea, halting many private construction sites and driving prices higher. According to a report by the Guinee7 newspaper, the country has six producers that operate seven cement plants, with a combined production capacity of around 3.6Mt/yr. This is up from 2.2Mt/yr four years ago – an increase of nearly 60%.

However, two plants have shut down due to a lack of clinker. Industry sources propose reviving domestic clinker production but caution that stabilisation could take several months.

The Gambia: Jah Oil has announced the imminent arrival of a 53,000t cement shipment in Banjul by 4 June 2025 to address the national shortage and maintain a new, lower price, according to the Foroyaa newspaper. Managing director Momodou Hydara said the supply will stabilise the market, with smaller 4000t shipments already underway to meet immediate demand.

Hydara denied internal issues, calling the disruption “a normal phenomenon that can happen to any business.” He said “Our company has sufficient capacity to continue meeting national demand.” He blamed global disruptions, citing President Trump’s tariffs on Vietnamese cement that redirected US demand to Egypt and Türkiye, Jah Oil’s main suppliers. “All of a sudden, the supplier couldn't catch up with that competition and informed us about a huge increase in price,” Hydara said.

He added that Jah Oil alerted the Gambian government early but received no immediate response. He said the company later explained that global pricing pressures and the Dalasi’s depreciation against the US Dollar made the existing price unsustainable.

Myanmar: Cement prices have more than doubled in Mandalay, Naypyitaw and Sagaing following the earthquake in March 2025, delaying reconstruction efforts, according to The Irrawaddy newspaper. The regime reportedly promised to subsidise cement prices for reconstruction work, but this has only happened in Naypyitaw. In Sagaing city, most building supply shops were damaged by the earthquake and remain closed, leading to long queues at businesses that are still operating.

The Indian government recently donated 4500 bags of cement for reconstruction efforts, but residents say this will mostly be used in Naypyitaw. A building sector source said “The construction industry is also suffering from labour shortages. We are not doing any building work, just demolitions. We have to buy any brand of product, including domestically produced cement. Even the big companies are rationing cement sales.”

Cement prices were reportedly increasing before the earthquake due to a decline in production. Only six of the country’s nine cement plants are now operating, producing around 340,000 bags per day. In April 2025, officials inspected over 300 building suppliers and prosecuted more than 60 for overcharging.

Kyrgyzstan: A total of 0.58Mt of cement was produced during the first quarter of 2025. This was a rise of 51.6% year-on-year compared to 0.38Mt in the first quarter of 2024, according to the National Statistical Committee. It was also higher than the first quarter of 2023, when 0.45Mt of cement was produced.

However, construction companies and buyers of construction materials have recently encountered cement shortages in the capital city Bishkek. Local finance media source Tazabek reported that it has contacted several construction stores, wholesale and retail points of sale of cement, which confirmed shortages. Cement is expected to be back in stock within 10 days.

Fiji: The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) has assured the public that there should be no shortage of cement despite the temporary suspension of operations at Pacific Cement. CEO Senikavika Jiuta said FCCC is working closely with suppliers and monitoring the supply chain to prevent unfair practices.

Pacific Cement suspended operations on 21 March 2025 after its mill sustained mechanical damage. Repairs are underway and expected to finish by 27 May 2025. FCCC engaged with both Pacific Cement and Tengy Cement to conduct a market study, concluding that Tengy Cement’s increased production at its Suva and Lautoka plants will meet demand until Pacific Cement resumes full operations.

Ghana: CBI Ghana has invested US$100m in a new plant in Tema to produce limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) using local raw materials, to reduce reliance on imported clinker.

Commercial director of Supacem Kobby Adams said that the Ghana Standards Authority’s adoption of the GS PAS 5:2024 LC3 standard enabled the launch, following collaboration with local universities and international partners. According to Graphic Business news, the current clinker scarcity and its escalating prices stemmed from a 6% currency depreciation between December 2024 and February 2025 and the evolving global market uncertainties, including an increase in clinker export prices from the Mediterranean.

The project reportedly created over 160 direct jobs through local sourcing and infrastructure development in Tema and Torgome.