30 September 2025

China: Data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China shows a 5% year-on-year decline in cement production in the first eight months of 2025, to 1.11Bnt. Production was 148Mt in August 2025, down by 6% year-on-year but up by 1% month-on-month. In the previous month, July 2025, the country produced its lowest monthly volume of cement since 2009, at 146Mt. Market research agency S&P Global has reported that the decline was due to reduced domestic demand, precipitated by a prolonged real estate sector downturn and sluggish infrastructure investment.

A representative of a local cement retail company reportedly said "We expect a similar trend in 2026, with full-year cement production likely declining by another 5 – 8% year-on-year."

Zimbabwe: PPC’s cement sales rose by 22% year-on-year during the four months to 31 July 2025 as demand surged, boosted by a 30% tariff on imports introduced in May 2025. The tariff was introduced through Statutory Instrument 50A of 2025, under a plan to bolster local production by cutting reliance on imports, and to support domestic manufacturers, according to The Chronicle newspaper.

In a statement accompanying financial results for the period, PPC said “Cement sales volumes in Zimbabwe increased by 22% in the current period compared to the comparable period, largely as a result of a combination of strong consumer demand and the positive impact of the introduction of a 30% tariff on imported cement in May 2025.”

North Korea: State-controlled media has reported that the Sangwon Cement Complex has carried out its third quarterly national economic plan according to schedule. It said that the complex took measures to operate equipment at full capacity and ‘conducted the operation and command in a meticulous way.’ It reportedly increased production by 108% compared to the third quarter of 2024.

India: Noida International Airport (NIA) has become India's first large-scale project to utilise limestone calcined clay cement (LC3), a low-carbon alternative to traditional cement. In a statement, concessionaire Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) said LC3 was used extensively in the construction of the airport.

Developed for more than 10 years by researchers at IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, Swiss Development Cooperation, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Switzerland), Universidad de las Villas (Cuba), and Technology and Action for Rural Advancement (TARA), LC3 emits up to 40% less CO₂ than conventional Portland cement. It costs 25% less to produce, uses low-grade limestone and clays and requires lower energy for manufacturing while delivering comparable strength.

Senegal: The Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition, in partnership with Cementis and with the support of the United Nations Climate Technology Centre and Network, held a workshop in late September 2025 to launch the national roadmap for decarbonisation in the cement industry. The initiative aims to reduce CO₂ emissions in cement production in the country by optimising industrial processes and adapting the energy sources used.

World: Market analysis agency S&P Global has collated the latest data on the global seaborne cement trade in the first half of 2025. Citing research by shipbroking house Howe Robinson Partners, it reported total volumes of 107Mt in the six-month period, up by 7% year-on-year from 100Mt in the first half of 2024. This is the largest global first-half volume recorded since 2021. Full-year seaborne cement trade volumes were 207Mt in 2024, up by 1.5% from 204Mt in 2023.

Vietnam and Türkiye remained the leading global cement exporters, with 16.1Mt and 12.5Mt, 15% and 12% of the total, respectively. Both countries slightly increased their export volumes. Next up in the rankings, Egyptian shipments rose by 14% to 10.9Mt, overtaking Iran, with 6.5Mt (down by 10%). Other rapid growth geographies included Indonesia, with 7.2Mt (up by 22%) and Pakistan, with 4.4Mt (up by 26%).

On the import side, despatches to the US fell by 1% to 11.4Mt, while Bangladeshi imports rose by 9% to 8.7Mt. West Africa was the largest regional market in terms of volumes. It imported 11.8Mt, up by 17%.