US: Total shipments of cement, including imports, in the US and Puerto Rico in April 2026 were an estimated 9.27Mt, a 2% year-on-year increase. Shipments for the first four months of 2026 totalled 30.5Mt, representing a 5% year-on-year increase. The leading destination for shipments by tonnage was Texas. The leading cement-producing states in April 2026 were Texas, Missouri, California, Florida and Alabama. The leading cement-consuming states received 39% of shipments during this month. Clinker production, excluding Puerto Rico, totalled 6.15Mt in April 2026,a 15% year-on-year increase. Production for the first four months of 2026 totalled 19.8Mt, a 7% year-on-year increase. The leading clinker-producing states in April 2026 were Texas, Missouri, California, Florida and Alabama.

April 2026 imports of cement and clinker, including Puerto Rico, totalled 2.17Mt a 0.5% decrease from April 2025. Imports for the first four months of 2026 totalled 7.41Mt, an increase of 1.5% year-on-year.

El Salvador: Dominican Republic-based Cemento Panam, a subsidiary of Grupo Estrella, has announced the acquisition of Cementos Fortaleza in El Salvador. The agreement includes the company’s plant in Acajutla, which has an installed capacity of 0.35Mt/yr of cement. The transaction was financed with support from the Latin American Foreign Trade Bank, BAC and Global Bank. With the acquisition, Grupo Estrella has expanded its cement operations to a third market, adding El Salvador to its existing presence in the Dominican Republic and Panama, where it operates under the Cemento Bayano brand.

Czech Republic: Holcim has launched a new calcined clay production line in Čížkovice that will enable it to produce 0.58Mt/yr of ECOPlanet low-carbon cement. It said that this cement has around 30% lower CO₂ emissions compared to ordinary Portland cement due to the replacement of clinker with calcined clay. The line is the first of its kind in the Czech Republic and the calcined clay is supplied from Holcim’s nearby quarry. The Čížkovice line cost €42.6m, with €13.8m funded by the country’s Ministry of Environment’s Modernisation Fund.

Andrej Babiš, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, said "This project is proof that Czech industry can be modern, competitive and environmentally responsible at the same time. This is exactly the kind of investment our country needs. It combines technological innovation, the use of domestic resources and investments in the future."

Xavier Guesnu, Holcim Region Head Central and East Europe, said “The commissioning of this production line is an important step to scale up next generation ECOPlanet low-carbon cement as an innovative solution to meet our customers’ most ambitious goals, as the leading partner for sustainable construction."

France: Heidelberg Materials’ new kiln line at its Airvault plant in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region has produced its first cement, according to a post by Director of Cement Bruno Manivet on social media. The plant commissioned the new kiln line in April 2026, which received an investment of €350m. The new Gebr. Pfeiffer MVR 5000 C-4 mill has produced its first batch of cement, with Manivet adding that the plant will produce lower-carbon cements from September 2026.