Costa Rica: According to La Nacion, the Costa Rican technical standards institute, Inteco, has opened a public consultation process concerning new technical guidelines for both imported and locally-produced hydraulic cement. The agency seeks to establish a series of standards and guidelines for cement and its components.
Following a request from the Ministry of Finance, Industry and Trade (MEIC), Inteco launched a process to establish the new guidelines in 2014. The consultation process will be open until 27 July 2015 and will give players in the local cement market the opportunity to express their opinions. Cement producers Holcim and Cemex, as well as cement importer Sinocem, previously expressed their opposition to the MEIC's plans to introduce new certification requirements for cement to be approved by an internationally-accredited laboratory.