Kenya: Kenya’s cement clinker imports have dropped by 93% year-on-year to 10,340t in 2024 from 148,000t in 2023, according to the government’s 2025 Economic Survey. The value of imported clinker fell to US$27,500 from US$409,000 in 2023 and US$3.2bn in 2020. Import volumes had already fallen by 77% in 2023, from 656Mt in 2022.

Cement production declined by 7% from 9.6Mt to 8.9Mt in 2024, while consumption also fell by 7% to 8.5Mt. Construction sector growth contracted by 0.7% in 2024, down from 3% in 2023.

Uzbekistan: Cement companies produced 3.65Mt of cement in January - March 2025, up by 62% year-on-year from 2.26Mt in 2024. According to data from the National Statistical Committee, output had previously risen by 31% from 2.03Mt in the first quarter of 2023 to 2.26Mt in 2024.

India: UltraTech Cement has increased its production capacity by 1.4Mt/yr through debottlenecking and ‘efficiency improvements’ at multiple sites across India.

It added 0.6Mt/yr of grinding capacity at Nagpur in Maharashtra and 0.8Mt/yr across Panipat and Jhajjar in Haryana. The company’s total domestic grey cement capacity now stands at 184.8Mt/yr, while its global capacity has reached 190.2Mt/yr.

US: The Portland Cement Association has changed its name to the American Cement Association (ACA). ACA president and CEO Mike Ireland made the announcement at the IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Conference 2025, which took place in Birmingham, Alabama. The association will begin launching the new brand identity in June 2025.

“The most important reason for the name change is that in recent years, US cement manufacturers have expanded the types of materials they produce beyond Portland cement, working to develop more lower-emission cements in an effort to decarbonise the industry and increase domestic cement manufacturing capacity. The name ‘Portland Cement Association’ no longer accurately reflects the modern mindset of today’s manufacturers, or the materials they currently produce,” said Ireland.

Lower-emissions cement consumption has grown more than tenfold since 2021 and now accounts for more than 60% of total cement consumed in the US, according to the ACA. In 2024, all 50 state Departments of Transportation approved the use of Portland limestone cement (PLC). PLC reduces the carbon footprint of projects by up to 10%.

Ireland added “Additionally, the rebranding makes it clear that we are a national association that speaks for cement manufacturers across the country.”

The association’s new slogan will be ‘Sustainable Cement for Resilient Concrete’, which ‘summarises the industry’s commitment to staying the course with [the ACA’s] Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality’, according to ACA vice chair of the board Monica Manolas.