Displaying items by tag: Supply

North Korea: The Puhung Cement Factory carried out the blasting of 350,000m³ of earth on 22 October 2025, according to Korean News. The blasting allows for increased cement supply to construction sites in order to implement government policies.

Egypt: Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport Kamel El-Wazir met with cement producers to discuss production trends, recent price declines, and ways to increase capacity and restart idle production lines, according to a ministry statement. The meeting forms part of the Ministry of Industry’s plan to enhance efficiency in the cement sector and ensure sufficient supply to the local market. Officials reviewed recent price movements, local production levels, and reasons for the shutdown of certain production lines, with a view to their reactivation, according to Zawya news. Cement manufacturers continue to submit monthly production reports to the General Authority for Industrial Development (IDA), including data on licensed capacities, actual output and exports. The review showed that several companies have the technical ability to exceed their currently licensed production limits.

In response, the IDA will study applications from these producers to expand permitted capacities, aiming to optimise resource use, increase supply and stabilise market prices. The meeting also addressed the causes of plant shutdowns, including spare part shortages and ongoing renovation of production units. Some companies are upgrading their systems to align with production and efficiency standards. El-Wazir reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to supporting plants in overcoming technical or administrative obstacles and restoring full operational capacity. The meeting further discussed expanding the use of alternative fuels derived from agricultural and household waste to reduce production costs and environmental impact. Cement companies reportedly expressed interest in this transition, viewing it as a way to enhance competitiveness and sustainability.

Russia: CEMROS has inaugurated a new cement terminal in Novocheboksarsk, located on the cargo berth of the Cheboksary river port. The facility is designed to handle up to 50,000t/yr. Supplies to the terminal will be routed from CEMROS’s Sengileevsky branch in the Ulyanovsk region. By using river logistics, the company aims to ensure direct deliveries from plant to consumer, reduce reliance on road and rail during peak seasons, and maintain stable cement prices. The terminal will primarily serve enterprises in the Chuvash Republic and Mari El Republic which are engaged in major infrastructure projects. Test operations at the terminal are set to begin shortly, with full capacity expected to be achieved by the start of April 2026.

“The terminal expands the port’s capabilities and strengthens its position as the region’s logistics hub. It’s an investment in the republic’s infrastructure and an additional resource for the construction industry,” said Vanifatiy Shaikin, general director of the Cheboksary port.

Denis Nazarov, director of procurement and logistics at CEMROS, said “We are creating a sustainable supply chain and a network of river cement terminals that reduce delivery distances and guarantee consumers direct access to our products. River transport in the Volga-Kama basin offers enormous potential to efficiently supply construction materials to key regions.”

Nigeria: Dangote Cement despatched 481,000t of clinker from Nigeria to its subsidiaries in Cameroon and Ghana in the first half of 2025, according to its latest activity report. While country-specific volumes were not disclosed, the company said that the supply ensured production continuity in these key markets and helped mitigate volatility in international clinker prices.

The group’s 1.5Mt/yr clinker grinding plant in Douala, Cameroon, sold 687,000t of cement in the first half of 2025, down by 3% from 710,000t in the same period of 2024. Dangote Cement attributed the decline to a temporary slowdown in demand.

Despite this, the outlook remains positive, supported by major infrastructure projects such as the Douala–Yaoundé highway and nationwide road rehabilitation. “These initiatives should maintain sustained cement demand in the medium term, despite uncertainties linked to the general elections scheduled for October 2025,” the report stated.

In Congo, however, sales stagnated at 446,000t in the first half of 2025 due to logistical challenges that limited exports, despite the resumption of public projects.

Looking ahead, Dangote Cement is moving forward with its long-delayed expansion in Cameroon. Bertrand Mbouck, General Manager of Dangote Cement Cameroon, confirmed that construction of a second plant had officially commenced after receiving government approval. The project, first announced in 2015 by Group CEO Aliko Dangote, was originally given a 20-month duration.

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.

Egypt: The Egyptian government has frozen the implementation of an earlier decision to reduce cement production capacities following a two-month suspension that took place during May and June 2025. The move aims to increase local supply and curb prices, which have reportedly been rising since the start of 2025 due to a decline in demand.

Shaimaa Aboulmagd, commercial director at Misr Beni Suef Cement, said the decision is expected to bring prices down further and that many cement companies have already started to reduce prices.

Ahmed El-Zeiny, head of the building materials division at the Cairo Chamber of Commerce, said the market is now anticipating price stabilisation due to increased supply, noting that the sector had recently faced reduced availability from higher exports and the closure of nine cement production lines.

Myanmar: The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement will distribute more than US$250,000-worth of cement, funded by the National Disaster Management Committee, to repair homes damaged by the 28 March 2025 earthquake, according to Eleven Myanmar news. The earthquake affected 54 townships in eight regions and states.

At a meeting of the Myanmar Cement Manufacturers Association, its chair said that it would coordinate with local plants to produce and distribute cement, and hold market fairs in Nay Pyi Taw and Mandalay to ensure supply to the general public. The Union Minister added that assistance would be given to damaged plants, specifically in obtaining spare parts and raw materials.

Armenia: The government will extend restrictions on cement and clinker imports from Iran and ‘other countries’ for another six months, from 21 July 2025 to 21 January 2026. The measure aims to support local producers, who reportedly face falling competitiveness and reduced production volumes, according to local press.

Armenian cement output declined by 7% year-on-year to 1.05Mt in 2024, despite a domestic capacity of 2.5Mt/yr and market demand of around 1.4–1.5Mt/yr. Imports from Iran rose by 72% year-on-year to 436,000t in 2024, following a 3.5-fold increase in 2023.

The Ministry of Economy said the restrictions ensure sufficient market supply while maintaining fair competition between domestic manufacturers and importers.

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.