Saudi Arabia: Al-Jouf Cement has signed a one-year, US$10m sales agreement with Towa Development to export cement to Syria and Palestine. The contract, effective from 30 November 2025 to 29 November 2026, reportedly represents over 14% of the producer’s total revenue based on its latest audited results. The company will supply all types of cement to Towa Development for export throughout the contract period.
US cement market increases import capacity as demand slows
US: Cement import capacity is continuing to rise despite a slowdown in demand and growing uncertainty over tariffs, according to a report by Argus Media. Cement supplier Ozinga initially expected demand would bounce back after the November 2024 presidential election. CEO Marty Ozinga said “Then the Liberation Day thing happened. I think that really put a pause to a lot of projects, just enough to make it very disappointing for most of the year,” referring to the tariffs rolled out in April 2025.
Tariffs have increased costs for importers by US$5-10/t, said On Field Investment Research managing partner Yassine Touahri. Market analyst Ed Sullivan forecasts cement consumption falling by 5% in 2025 and dropping by a further 0.2% in 2026, hitting a low of 100Mt. He said longer-term growth is still possible, citing a potential market size of 140Mt by 2050 if past per capita consumption rates return.
With mortgage rates above 6% and affordability at record lows, residential construction is expected to remain weak. Sullivan said that industry utilisation is running at 76%, below the 80% that producers ‘would like to see’, and he expects imports to hit a bottom at 17Mt in 2026, despite new import capacity coming online.
"On the import side, capacity additions are not slowing down at all", even though demand for additional imports is much less certain than it was three to five years ago, LEK Consulting managing director Olivier Asset said.
Huaxin Cement to change name to Huaxin Building Materials
China: Huaxin Building Materials Group will change its company name and logo from 4 December 2025. It said that the change reflects the company’s broader focus on building materials beyond cement.
LafargeHolcim Maroc reports 12% rise in sales in third quarter of 2025
Morocco: National cement demand grew by 12% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2025, supported by a strong construction sector. LafargeHolcim Maroc recorded consolidated revenue of US$255m for the quarter, also up by 12% from the third quarter of 2024, driven by higher sales volumes of cement and ready-mix concrete. Year-to-date revenue reached US$703m by the end of September 2025, reflecting a 12.5% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
