Displaying items by tag: exports
Türkiye's cement exports decline
14 May 2024Türkiye: Türkiye's cement exports to Azerbaijan dropped by 10.5% in January - April 2024, to US$16m, compared to the same period in 2023. In April 2024, exports to Azerbaijan fell by 16% to US$4.1m, according to the Turkish Ministry of Trade. Türkiye's global cement exports decreased by 8% to US$1.4bn from January to April 2024. Cement exports in April 2024 experienced a 9.2% year-on-year decline, to US$339m. From April 2023 – April 2024, Türkiye's total cement exports were valued at US$4.5bn.
Barbados: Trinidad Cement, owners of Arawak Cement Company, noted a decline in the Barbados cement market in 2023, according to its annual report.
Managing director Francisco Aguilera Mendoza said "In Barbados, the overall market declined by 14.3%, of which Arawak Cement Company experienced a decline of 8.8% in domestic cement volumes compared to 2022. Trinidad and Tobago’s cement export volume fell by almost 11% when compared to 2022, due to supply chain constraints and an increase in the local market demand. This drop in cement exports was almost fully compensated by our clinker exports to Barbados that started in 2023 after Arawak Cement’s change in its operating model.”
Cement sales in Saudi Arabia rise in April 2024
09 May 2024Saudi Arabia: Cement sales in Saudi Arabia recorded a 12.5% increase in April 2024 to 2.92Mt, up from 2.6Mt in 2023, despite the impact of Ramadan. This is according to a report by Aljazira Capital. However, cement exports saw a significant decrease, dropping by 30% year-on-year to 554,000t from 790,000t. Additionally, clinker inventories reached 43.4Mt in April 2024, marking an 18% year-on-year increase and a 3% rise from March 2024.
Vietnam: Amid weak domestic demand and rising costs of electricity and coal, the Vietnam Cement Association (VNCA) is focusing on boosting domestic consumption. The current domestic supply of cement is estimated at 60 – 62Mt, far exceeding demand. The excess 30Mt is planned to be exported, with cement and clinker exports already rising in April 2024 by 12% year-on-year to 2.85Mt. In the first quarter of 2024, exports grew by 4.6% to 10.9Mt compared to the same period in 2023.
The VNCA notes ‘challenging’ conditions in major markets, including China's oversupply and protectionist measures in the Philippines, Central America and South Africa. To counter these hurdles, the VNCA proposes several government-led initiatives to increase domestic consumption and help manufacturers, including tax relief on clinker exports and financial incentives such as reduced interest rates for local producers.
Pakistan: The cement industry saw a slight decrease in cement dispatches in April 2024, falling to 2.94Mt from 2.95Mt in April 2023, according to data from the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association. Despite an 8% fall in local sales to 2.33Mt, an increase in exports by 46% to 614,264t in April 2024 partially offset this decline. Specifically, north-based plants saw a 4.8% reduction in dispatches to 2.1Mt in April 2024, while south-based plants experienced a 12.7% year-on-year increase to 854,911t. Export volumes also reflected regional differences, with north-based exports increasing by 73% and south-based by 39%.
In the 2024 financial year so far, total cement dispatches have risen by 2.5% to 37.5Mt, driven by a 65.4% increase in export dispatches to 5.72Mt compared to April 2023. However, domestic sales have declined by 4.1% to 31.7Mt. The north-based plants dispatched 26.2Mt domestically, a 3.6% year-on-year decrease, while south-based plants dispatched 5.55Mt, down by 6.5% from April 2023.
A spokesman for the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association said "The government needs to announce industry-friendly measures in the upcoming budget that can boost construction activities in the country. We need to increase our capacity utilisation to bring in economies of scale and to control our operations costs in order to reduce the overall impact on the end consumer.”
Türkiye sees rise in cement exports to Georgia
02 May 2024Türkiye/Georgia: Türkiye's exports of cement products to Georgia have increased by 7% year-on-year to US$17m from January to March 2024, according to its Trade Ministry. In March 2024, exports to Georgia reached US$7.6m, representing a 4% year-on-year increase.
However, Türkiye's global cement exports from January to March 2024 fell by 7% to US$1.1bn compared to the same period in 2023. In March 2024, exports were down by 11% year-on-year to US$390m. From March 2023 to March 2024, Türkiye exported cement products worth US$4.5bn.
Türkiye: Exports of cement products from Türkiye to the US have decreased by 12% year-on-year to US$165m from January - March 2024, according to the Türkiye Trade Ministry. The ministry also reported that in March 2024, cement exports to the US fell to US$57.5m, representing a 28% year-on-year decrease. Overall, Türkiye's global cement product exports dropped 7.4% to US$1.1bn in the first quarter of 2024. In March 2024, exports were down 11% at US$390m. Despite these declines, Türkiye achieved cement product exports totalling US$4.5bn from March 2023 - March 2024.
Vietnam: The Vietnam Cement Association (VNCA) has urged the government to address the cement industry's challenges, following a continuous decline in sales since 2022. Despite having 61 cement plants with a combined capacity of 117Mt/yr, the industry recorded sales of only 87.8Mt/yr in 2023, marking a 16% year-on-year fall in domestic consumption to 56.6Mt and a 1% decline in exports to 31.2Mt. The downturn in both domestic and export markets has resulted in excess inventory, leading many plants to reduce capacity or halt operations, with some facing bankruptcy or the risk of foreign acquisition.
Several factors have contributed to the industry's difficulties, including reduced domestic demand due to reliance on traditional construction techniques in major infrastructure projects, a stagnant real estate market, escalating fuel costs, and increased export taxes on clinker. To combat these issues, VNCA proposes promoting concrete use in high-speed infrastructure projects, especially in the Central region and the Mekong Delta. It also advocates maintaining or eliminating export taxes on clinker for the next two years and providing VAT exemptions. Additionally, VNCA calls for financial support, requesting banks to offer debt relief and reduced interest rates to cement companies. The association also advises against further foreign investment in Vietnam's cement sector.
Vietnam cement exports fall
09 April 2024Vietnam: In the first quarter of 2024, Vietnam's cement and clinker exports maintained a volume of 7.9Mt but represented a 11.7% year-on-year decrease in value to US$298m, according to the General Statistics Office.
The value decrease is reportedly attributed to China's sluggish real estate market and anti-dumping duties imposed by the Philippines. Export prices also declined slightly, with the average price in 2023 dropping by 3% year-on-year. The Vietnam Cement Association anticipates further challenges for these exports in 2024, facing increased competition from the Philippines, Central America and South Africa. Domestic production is expected to exceed demand, with consumption estimated at 60-62Mt, prompting intensified export efforts to manage an excess production of around 30Mt.
Steppe Cement records decline in sales
05 April 2024Kazakhstan: Steppe Cement sold 175,383t of cement for US$8.5m in the first quarter of 2024, down from 214,832t for US$11m in the first quarter of 2023. This represents a year-on-year decline of 18% in volume and 23% in value. Despite the decrease in sales, its production of clinker grew by 25% year-on-year.
Cement sales in Kazakhstan declined by 12% to 1.69Mt in the first quarter of 2024. Exports fell by 6%, mainly due to reduced exports to Uzbekistan. Imports remained level at 4% of domestic demand, with the majority coming from Russia. Steppe Cement anticipates a total market demand of approximately 11Mt in Kazakhstan for 2024, a 5% year-on-year decrease. Rising transport costs and an increased proportion of shipments to southern Kazakhstan resulted in low margins, according to the company.