Displaying items by tag: Tunisia
Tunisia: Portugal’s Secil and Spain’s Cementos Portland Valderrivas have both submitted bids for Carthage Cement. Other bidders included local company Omnium des Industries et de la Promotion, Malta’s Eurocem and a consortium of Asamer Kurt, Petech and Melton Enterprise. The companies are bidding for a 50.52% stake in the Tunisian cement producer.
Carthage Cement starts first export shipment to Sub-Saharan Africa
05 February 2018Tunisia: Carthage Cement has completed the loading of its first clinker shipment to Sub-Saharan Africa. The 38,000t consignment was loaded at the port of La Goulette. It is part of a 350,000t deal that the cement producer announced in December 2017.
Carthage Cement’s turnover drops by 12% to US$72.8m in 2017
26 January 2018Tunisia: Carthage Cement’s turnover fell by 12% year-on-year to US$72.8 in 2017 from US$82.6m in 2016. Clinker production dropped by 17% to 1.3Mt and cement production by 12% to 1.4Mt. Local sales of cement decreased by 2% to US$52.7m and exports by 80% to US$1.9m. The cement producer blamed its poor sales on a decline in the export market.
Tunisia facing shortage of white cement following plant closure
24 January 2018Tunisia: The National Chamber of Ceramics Manufacturers has expressed concern about the a shortage of white cement following the closure of the Société Tuniso-Andalouse de Ciment Blanc’s (SOTACIB) plant at Férien. The ceramics association has called for the government to speed up the import process, according to the L'economiste Maghrebin magazine. SOTACIB’s 0.65Mt/yr white cement plant closed on 19 January 2018 for a six-month period following a strike by workers in December 2017. Spain’s Cementos Molins is the majority shareholder in the company.
Tunisia: Ciments de Bizerte’s cement and lime deliveries rose by 3% year-on-year to 0.63Mt in 2017 from 0.61Mt in 2016. Overall the cement producer’s turnover increased by 3.74%, according to African Manager. It reported a total turnover of US$25m in 2016. Upgrade work to the plant’s wharf is expected to increase exports in 2018 as well as receives petcoke supplies.
Carthage Cement goes on sale
20 December 2017Tunisia: The government and Bina, the controlling shareholders of Carthage Cement, are selling a majority stake in the cement producer via public tender. The two investors own a 50.52% stake of the company. The cement producer operates a 2.2Mt/yr plant at Djebel Ressas. Expressions of interest are being accepted until 16 February 2018.
Carthage Cement wins clinker export contract
13 December 2017Tunisia: Carthage Cement has secured a contract to export 350,000t of clinker to sub-Saharan Africa in 2018. The deal will enable the cement producer to enter this market for the first time. Neither the name of the other company nor the exact destination has been disclosed.
Carthage Cement strike cancelled
30 October 2017Tunisia: A planned strike by workers at Carthage Cement for late October to early November 2017 has been cancelled. The decision to call off the industrial action follows a meeting between Finance Minister Ridha Chalghoum and UGTT Secretary General, Noureddine Taboubi, according to African Manager. Further meetings between the management of the cement producer and the unions have been scheduled.
Ciments de Bizerte doubles loss in first half of 2017
26 September 2017Tunisia: Ciments de Bizerte has nearly doubled its loss to Euro5.7m in the first half of 2017 compared to Euro3m in the same period in 2016. The cement producer’s revenue fell by 8.4% year-on-year and its operating income fell to a loss of Euro2.5m from Euro1.9m, according to the L'Économiste maghrébin magazine. The company operates a single cement plant at Bizerte with a clinker production capacity of 0.9Mt/yr.
Tunisia: Carthage Cement’s cement sales have fallen due to a ban on sales to Algeria. Its clinker production volumes fell by 27% year-on-year to 0.57Mt in the first half of 2017 from 0.78Mt in the same period in 2016 and its cement production fell by 13% to 0.72Mt from 0.83Mt. Cement export sales fell by 79% and overall its sales fell by 18% to Euro31.6m from Euro38.7m. However, the cement producer said it increased its market share in the period.