Displaying items by tag: despatches

India: Cement and clinker transport from Meghalaya has been at a complete standstill since 27 October 2025, as members of the newly formed Meghalaya Commercial Truck Owners Association (MCTOA) continue their protest, according to local press. The strike has impacted despatches from all major cement plants in the Jaintia Hills, leading to a reported cement shortage across Meghalaya and neighbouring northeastern states.

The MCTOA launched the protest to demand that government-notified transport rates be extended to inter-state transportation outside Meghalaya. The protest has reportedly disrupted supply chains and halted plant despatches, with thousands of workers and transporters affected by the shutdown of all cement plants in the region.

In a statement issued on 6 November 2025, the Jaintia Hills Cement Manufacturing Association (JHCMA) described the strike as ‘unjustified and economically damaging,’ adding that it has caused ‘significant losses and hardship’. The association urged authorities to ‘take immediate steps to restore normalcy, ensure the safe movement of goods and safeguard the interests of the industrial sector.’

Pakistan: Local cement despatches rose by 15% year-on-year to 3.93Mt in October 2025, up from 3.41Mt in October 2024, according to the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA). Exports fell by 23% from 1.1Mt to 0.83Mt, bringing total despatches to 4.75Mt, an increase of 6% year-on-year. In the first four months of the 2026 financial year, total despatches reached 17.3Mt, up by 15% from 15Mt a year earlier. Domestic sales rose by 18% to 13.9Mt, while exports increased by 6% year-on-year from 3.22Mt to 3.42Mt.

An APCMA spokesman said “The decline in exports over the past two months is a matter of concern. If this trend continues, it may dent our hopes of a full cement sector revival.”

Jamaica: Caribbean Cement has resumed cement despatch operations at its Rockfort plant following Hurricane Melissa. The company completed safety inspections and restoration work to confirm the structural integrity of the site before restarting operations, according to Our Today news. The producer said it can meet market demand without supply chain disruptions due to its ‘strong’ inventory levels and fully stocked packing warehouses. The company currently holds over 33,000t of clinker, sufficient to produce 44,000t of cement.

Managing director Jorge Martinez said “Our ability to resume the despatch of cement so quickly after Hurricane Melissa is a testament to the strength of our safety protocols, the resilience of our operations, and the dedication of our people. By ensuring all silos and warehouses were secure and fully stocked, we are well positioned to meet Jamaica’s construction needs without interruption.”

Argentina: Cement dispatches in September 2025 reached 0.92Mt, a 0.5% increase compared to September 2024 and up by 3% from August 2025, according to data from the AFCP. Domestic shipments in September 2025 totalled 0.92Mt, while exports amounted to 5166t. Cumulative cement deliveries from January to September 2025 reached 7.5Mt, representing a 7% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

Pakistan: Cement despatches, including both domestic despatches and exports, rose by 16% year-on-year to 12.2Mt in the first quarter of the 2026 financial year, up from 10.5Mt in the same period in 2024, according to data from the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA). Domestic sales grew by 15% to 9.57Mt, compared to 8.32Mt in 2024, while exports jumped by 21% to 2.59Mt, up from 2.14Mt.

On a monthly basis, dispatches surged by 31% in July and 13.5% in August 2025, before moderating to 7% growth in September 2025, when volumes reached 4.25Mt compared with 3.97Mt a year earlier. In September 2025, local sales rose by 14% to 3.42Mt, up from 2.99Mt in September 2024, while exports dropped by 15% to 0.83Mt, against 0.98Mt a year earlier.

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.

Peru: National cement dispatches reached 1.15Mt in August 2025, up by 4.4% year-on-year, according to the Asociación de Productores de Cemento (ASOCEM). On a 12-month rolling basis, dispatches grew by 3% year-on-year. Cement production stood at 1.04Mt, a 2% increase compared to August 2024 and 1% higher over the 12-month cumulative period. In contrast, clinker production dropped to 630,000t, down by 20% year-on-year and 12% lower on a 12-month basis.

Cement exports fell by 6% to 10,962t compared to August 2024, though they rose 10% over the 12 months. Clinker exports reached 72,006t, down by 3% and 11% lower across the 12-month cumulative period. Imports of cement saw a significant 565% increase to 10,763t, up by 109% over the 12-month period. Clinker imports stood at 35,396t, falling by 56% from August 2024 but still 43% higher in the 12-month comparison.

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.

Argentina: Cement despatches in August 2025 totalled 0.89Mt, down by 0.4% year-on-year from August 2024, according to the AFCP. Volumes fell by 0.2% month-on-month.

However, cumulative despatches from January to August 2025 reached 6.59Mt, an 8% increase from 6.08Mt in the same period of 2024. Cement imports in August 2025 stood at 298t, taking the year-to-date total to 1597t.

Pakistan: Cement despatches, including exports, reached 3.85Mt in August 2025, a 12% year-on-year increase from 3.42Mt in August 2024, according to the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA). Local despatches grew by 10% to 3.10Mt from 28Mt, while exports rose by 22% to 0.75Mt from 0.6Mt previously.

In the first two months of the 2025–26 financial year, total despatches rose by 21% to 7.85Mt from 6.49Mt a year earlier. Domestic despatches grew by 14% to 6.09Mt, while exports climbed by 51% to 1.76Mt.

The APCMA noted that August growth was slower than in July 2025, when domestic despatches rose by 19% and exports rose by 84% year-on-year.