Mexico: Authorities have regained control of the Cruz Azul cement plant in Tula de Allende, Hidalgo, after a five-year internal dispute. The facility has been out of operation since 2022 due to a power outage.

The Attorney General's Office of the State of Mexico arrested 33 people during the operation on 12 February 2026, transferring them to Hidalgo state authorities, according to local news outlet Proceso. These people were initially reported as missing. 31 were charged with ‘disobedience and resistance’, while two others were found with 0.38-calibre rifles and charged with weapons offences. The plant had been under the control of a dissident group led by Federico Sarabia Pozo, former president of Cruz Azul, following a leadership split after Guillermo ‘Billy’ Álvarez Cuevas stepped down in 2020.

Víctor Manuel Velázquez Rangel, president of the board of Cooperativa La Cruz Azul since 2020, said in a video posted to social media “During the early hours of this Thursday 12 February 2026, a court order to recover the Cruz Azul cement plant in the state of Hidalgo, municipality of Tula de Allende, was successfully completed. The plant is now under our possession, after being held hostage for more than five years. I make a heartfelt appeal for social peace to all those who were misinformed, deceived, or forced to participate directly or indirectly in the takeover of this industrial unit. I want to tell you that jobs will be recovered, and those truly responsible are already being brought to justice."

US: Total shipments of Portland and blended cement, including imports, reached an estimated 9.83Mt in September 2025, marking a 10% year-on-year increase, according to data from the USGS. However, cumulative shipments for the year to September 2025 were down by 2% from 2024, at 76.4Mt. Texas was the top destination for shipments by volume, while the leading producing states in September were Texas, Missouri, California, Florida, and Michigan, which together accounted for 38% of total US production.

Clinker production, excluding Puerto Rico, stood at 6.28Mt in September 2025, representing a 6% increase year-on-year, but dropped by 5% year-on-year to 50.1Mt for the January-September period. The top clinker-producing states were Missouri, Texas, California, Florida, and Alabama. Cement and clinker imports in September 2025 reached 2.34Mt, up by 9% from the same period in 2024. For the year to September 2025, imports totalled 19.2Mt, a 2% decline year-on-year.

Kyrgyzstan: A new cement plant will be built in Tash-Kumyr, following the signing of an investment agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers and Yug Evro Cement on 13 February 2026. The event was attended by the governor of Jalal-Abad region, Tilek Tekebayev, alongside the company’s management. The project involves the construction and commissioning of the cement facility, an investment valued at approximately US$50m. According to local press, the plant is expected to create around 250 new jobs once operational.

Bangladesh: LafargeHolcim has introduced Holcim Coastal Guard, a new cement product designed to resist salinity and sulphate exposure in structures built on coastal soil or near groundwater. Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque, commercial and logistics director of LafargeHolcim, unveiled the cement at a launch event. “Holcim Coastal Guard is one of our most innovative products for customers in Bangladesh’s coastal areas,” he said. “We believe Holcim Coastal Guard will help customers build homes that remain resilient against harsh environmental challenges.”

The cement is formulated to reduce damage from sulphate and chloride-rich soils and groundwater, and is also suited for use against chemical attack in water and effluent treatment facilities. Holcim Coastal Guard was developed with input from the Holcim Group Innovation Centre in Lyon, France, and incorporates Smart Blend Technology.