Czech Republic: Lafarge Cement says that an on-going national cement shortage due to high operating costs will likely continue into 2023. MACR News has reported that Lafarge Cement chief executive officer Miroslav Kratochvíl said that the producer's Čížkovice cement plant would have suspended deliveries altogether if not for its existing commitments to customers. The company's pre-existing deals for its power supply enabled it to restrict energy costs growth to less than double 2021 levels in November 2022. Fuels, including alternative fuels, and other raw materials, are also at a price high due to shortages.

Lafarge Cement expects Czech construction activity to decline by 5 - 10% year-on-year in 2023. Kratochvíl said "We would welcome a slight drop in demand."

South Africa: PPC’s earnings fell by 12% year-on-year to US$42m in the six months to September 2022, excluding its subsidiary in Zimbabwe due to hyperinflation. In South Africa and Botswana the group reported higher sales in coastal regions due to less imports but tougher conditions inland that led to a 2.6% fall in cement sales volumes. Despite this, it raised its revenue through price rises. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 29% to US$29.9m. Performance was better in Rwanda where its Cimerwa subsidiary increased its sales volumes by 11% and its EBITDA by 63% to US$14.5m. PPC Zimbabwe’s sales volumes declined by 13% due to a planned kiln shutdown in the first quarter and margins were negatively affected by the use of imported clinker primarily from PPC South Africa and increased maintenance costs. However, sales volumes improved in the second quarter. EBITDA fell by 48% to US$8.59m.

Roland van Wijnen, the chief executive officer PPC, said, “The PPC group continues to deliver sound cash generation and deleverage the balance sheet despite difficult trading conditions in its core South African and Botswana cement market, offset by positive trading conditions in its Zimbabwe and Rwanda operations. To maintain volumes in the South African and Botswana cement markets, sales price increases were limited to 5% in the period under review. Key input costs, especially those related to fuel and energy, increased at double-digits in percentage terms.”

Belarus/Russia: Exports of cement from Belarus to Russia increased by 61% to 0.43Mt in September and October 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. Eurocement has also warned that Russia’s total imports could rise to 2.2Mt in 2022, comprising 1.5Mt from Belarus, according to RIA. The Russia-based cement producer forecast that total imports could rise to 5Mt in 2023, split mainly between imports from Belarus and Iran. Eurocement noted that it had encountered problems with rising imports already in 2022.

Egypt: Misr Beni Suef's sales were US$51.1m in the first nine months of 2022, up by 77% year-on-year from US$28.8m. Nonetheless, the producer recorded a loss of US$15.9m, compared to a profit of US$3.4m during the corresponding period of 2021.