Pakistan: Attock Cement recorded standalone sales of US$92.6m in its 2022 financial year, down by 3.6% year-on-year from US$96.1m in its 2021 financial year. The company produced 2.18Mt of clinker, down by 32% from 3.19Mt, corresponding to a capacity utilisation of 76%. The decision to reduce production came about due to high coal costs. Attock Cement sold 1.8Mt of cement, down by 10% from 2.01Mt in the 2021 financial year. The producer's cost of sales rose by 1.1% year-on-year to US$75.9m from US$75.1m. It profit after tax nonetheless grew by 1.2%, to US$5.07m from US$5.01m.

Chair Laith Pharaon said "The 2022 financial year was a challenging year for the company, as export sales remain depressed due to uncompetitive prices demanded by regional markets, which were also facing the uncertainties." He continued "Due to higher input costs owing to the significant increase in energy prices, the gross margin also declined by 4%. However, because of exchange gain on foreign receivables and dividend income received from its Iraq-based 60% subsidiary Saqr Al Keetan, operating margin improved by 3%.

Pakistan: Bestway Cement recorded a net turnover of US$84.1m in the first quarter of its 2023 financial year, up by 21% year-on-year from US$69.4m in the first quarter of the 2022 financial year. The producer's cost of sales also rose, by 13% year-on-year to US$55m from US$48.6m. Despite this challenge, it increased its profit for the period by 11% to US$15m from US$13.5m in the first quarter of the 2022 financial year.

Philippines: The Tariff Commission has reversed a decision recommending that the government implement anti-dumping duties on imports of cement from Vietnam. Việt Nam News has reported that the commission withdrew the recommendation after the Philippine government's Department of Trade and Industry ruled that imports from Vietnam do not have a harmful impact on the domestic cement industry.

Syria/US: A US court has found Lafarge Cement Syria guilty of conspiring to provide material support to the terrorist organisations al-Nusrah Front (ANF) and ISIS in Northern Syria during 2013 and 2014. Lafarge Cement Syria and its parent company, France-based Lafarge, agreed in 2011 to pay the terrorists for Lafarge Cement Syria employees' 'protection' and the continuation of the Jalabiyeh cement plant's operations, as well as to gain an economic advantage over other Syrian competitors. During the duration of the agreement, Lafarge Cement Syria recorded US$70.3m in sales. Coalition forces fighting against ANF and ISIS damaged the plant in an airstrike 'to reduce the facility's military usefulness' on 16 October 2019.

The court ordered Lafarge Cement Syria to pay criminal fines and forfeiture totaling US$778m.