Global Cement News

Myanmar: Five of nine local cement plants were damaged in the earthquake on 28 March 2025. Four plants are in the Mandalay Region, the epicentre of the earthquake, and one is in the Nay Pyi Taw Council Area, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper. Union Minister for Industry Charlie Than held a meeting with the Myanmar Cement Association, stating that the government is recommending hiring foreign consultants and importing equipment.

The government has also reportedly authorised foreign cement imports to meet demand, with shipments arriving via the Kawthoung border and at Shwepyitha Shweme jetty in Yangon. A vessel carrying 2500t of cement arrived on 9 April 2025 and distribution is underway.

Malaysia: Cahya Mata Sarawak (CMS) subsidiary Cahya Mata Cement is seeking approval from the Sarawak government to begin construction of a second clinker production line in Mambong. The line was first announced in January 2025. According to Bernama news, the new line will more than double the producer’s clinker capacity to 1.92Mt/yr from 900,000t/yr and is scheduled for completion in March 2027. Once operational, it will enable the group to manufacture up to 2.4Mt/yr of cement.

The project will be developed with China-based Sinoma Industry Engineering under a consulting agreement signed in 2023. The agreement covers the design and subsequent construction of the clinker line, as well as optimisation of the existing production line. The line will include a 6MW waste heat recovery system and a dust filtration system to cut emissions by 50%.

CMS group general counsel Izzam Ibrahim said “We are going through the regulatory approvals, and we are working very closely with the state government to obtain approval to start construction. In fact, we have lined up all the necessary manpower and procurement processes to kickstart the project. Once the project is off the ground, the target for completion will remain on track.”

US: FLSmidth has held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new 11,000m² manufacturing and distribution facility near its main office in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The company is consolidating its US operations following the full separation of its mining and cement businesses. The facility will primarily serve as a distribution warehouse for replacement parts and a production site for pneumatic transfer lines, according to local media.

Head of manufacturing Leyla Mohamed-Folk said “We are bringing our cement products that started in the Lehigh Valley back here.”

Saudi Arabia: Total cement sales in Saudi Arabia dropped by 2% year-on-year to 3.61Mt in March 2025 from 3.70Mt in March 2024, according to data from Yamama Cement. Domestic sales fell by almost 4% to 3.45Mt, while exports rose by 36% to 158,000t from 116,000t. Arabian Cement recorded the highest increase in domestic sales at 26%, followed by Al-Safwa Cement with 22%. Umm Al-Qura Cement posted the steepest drop at 36%, while Tabuk Cement’s fell by 34%. Al-Jouf Cement’s sales remained unchanged at 102,000t.

Three companies exported a total of 158,000 tons of cement in March 2025. Saudi Cement led with 139,000t. Clinker production fell by 6% to 5.1Mt, while clinker inventories grew 5% to 44.3Mt. Saudi Cement also led clinker exports with 153,000t, followed by Northern Region Cement with 58,000t.

Ukraine: A court has reportedly invalidated the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU)’s competition clearance for CRH Ukraine's acquisition of Buzzi subsidiary Dyckerhoff Cement Ukraine, completed in October 2024. Interfax-Ukraine News has reported that the court found that the clearance, granted in September 2024, was based on insufficient ‘clarification and evidence’ of details on the Ukrainian ready-to-use mortar mixes market situation.

The court allegedly also ruled that the Netherlands-based subsidiary of Ireland-based CRH had yet to meet certain commitments upon which the AMCU’s approval was conditional. Following the acquisition of Dyckerhoff Cement Ukraine, it was required to appoint executive, directorial or supervisory personnel to the company who did not already hold positions in CRH Ukraine-controlled entities. CRH clarified that it in fact appointed Mariusz Tomasz Bogacz on 11 October 2024, after his powers as a member of the supervisory board of Podilsky Cement had already been terminated, on 8 October 2024.

Building materials and property development company Kovalska Group mounted the successful legal challenge. The Kyiv Post newspaper has reported that the Kyiv-based company controls over 50% of the concrete market in Kyiv Oblast.

Dyckerhoff Cement Ukraine’s assets comprise two integrated cement plants, cement terminals and ready-mix concrete plants in Kyiv, Odessa and Mykolaiv. They entered Italy-based Buzzi’s control following the group’s progressive acquisition of Germany-based Dyckerhoff in 2001 – 2013. CRH and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development signed a mandate letter for the launch of a joint acquisition of the business in December 2023. The value of the deal was reportedly €100m.

The latest decision is currently under appeal by CRH.

This story was modified on 22 April 2025 to correct the inaccurate claim that the latest court ruling 'blocked' or ‘overturned' the completed acquisition and to add CRH's clarification regarding the effective appointment of Mariusz Tomasz Bogacz.