14 April 2025

Myanmar: Five of nine local cement plants were damaged in the earthquake on 28 March 2025. Four plants are in the Mandalay Region, the epicentre of the earthquake, and one is in the Nay Pyi Taw Council Area, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper. Union Minister for Industry Charlie Than held a meeting with the Myanmar Cement Association, stating that the government is recommending hiring foreign consultants and importing equipment.

The government has also reportedly authorised foreign cement imports to meet demand, with shipments arriving via the Kawthoung border and at Shwepyitha Shweme jetty in Yangon. A vessel carrying 2500t of cement arrived on 9 April 2025 and distribution is underway.

Malaysia: Cahya Mata Sarawak (CMS) subsidiary Cahya Mata Cement is seeking approval from the Sarawak government to begin construction of a second clinker production line in Mambong. The line was first announced in January 2025. According to Bernama news, the new line will more than double the producer’s clinker capacity to 1.92Mt/yr from 900,000t/yr and is scheduled for completion in March 2027. Once operational, it will enable the group to manufacture up to 2.4Mt/yr of cement.

The project will be developed with China-based Sinoma Industry Engineering under a consulting agreement signed in 2023. The agreement covers the design and subsequent construction of the clinker line, as well as optimisation of the existing production line. The line will include a 6MW waste heat recovery system and a dust filtration system to cut emissions by 50%.

CMS group general counsel Izzam Ibrahim said “We are going through the regulatory approvals, and we are working very closely with the state government to obtain approval to start construction. In fact, we have lined up all the necessary manpower and procurement processes to kickstart the project. Once the project is off the ground, the target for completion will remain on track.”

US: FLSmidth has held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new 11,000m² manufacturing and distribution facility near its main office in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The company is consolidating its US operations following the full separation of its mining and cement businesses. The facility will primarily serve as a distribution warehouse for replacement parts and a production site for pneumatic transfer lines, according to local media.

Head of manufacturing Leyla Mohamed-Folk said “We are bringing our cement products that started in the Lehigh Valley back here.”

Saudi Arabia: Total cement sales in Saudi Arabia dropped by 2% year-on-year to 3.61Mt in March 2025 from 3.70Mt in March 2024, according to data from Yamama Cement. Domestic sales fell by almost 4% to 3.45Mt, while exports rose by 36% to 158,000t from 116,000t. Arabian Cement recorded the highest increase in domestic sales at 26%, followed by Al-Safwa Cement with 22%. Umm Al-Qura Cement posted the steepest drop at 36%, while Tabuk Cement’s fell by 34%. Al-Jouf Cement’s sales remained unchanged at 102,000t.

Three companies exported a total of 158,000 tons of cement in March 2025. Saudi Cement led with 139,000t. Clinker production fell by 6% to 5.1Mt, while clinker inventories grew 5% to 44.3Mt. Saudi Cement also led clinker exports with 153,000t, followed by Northern Region Cement with 58,000t.