August 2025

Morocco: Cement deliveries in Morocco reached 11.12Mt from January - October 2024, up by 8% compared to the same period in 2023. The Moroccan Cement Association (APC) reported that cement sales in October 2024 increased to 1.3Mt, a 20% rise from 1.08Mt in October 2023. The APC has attributed this growth to high demand across various construction segments.

Vietnam: Vietnam produced 149Mt of cement between January and October 2024, up by 1.7% year-on-year. In October 2024, production was 16Mt, marking a rise of 7.1% from October 2023. Total production in 2023 was 120Mt, down by 4.5% year-on-year.

Nigeria: ABC Haulage, the heavy-duty vehicle division of ABC Transport, has expanded its operations at one of Lafarge Africa's cement plants by introducing a new fleet of compressed natural gas (CNG) powered vehicles. Victor Nneji, head of innovation & strategy at ABC Transport, said that adopting CNG technology has reduced operating costs by reducing dependency on diesel. This expansion increases the company’s capacity at the unnamed plant by 250,000t/yr.

Argentina: Cement shipments remained below pandemic and pre-pandemic levels in October 2024, which marked the sixth decline so far in 2024, according to Clarion newspaper. October 2024 saw shipments down by 20% year-on-year and 1.1% month-on-month, according to the Portland Cement Manufacturing Association (AFCP). In October 2024, sales dropped to 907,421t. 7.9Mt of cement was sold in the first 10 months of 2024 compared to 10.7Mt in the same period in 2023. Consumption also suffered a year-on-year decrease of 20% ​​and a monthly decline of 1.3%. The industry attributes the downturn primarily to a halt in national public works, as well as rising costs such as taxes on limestone and quarry exploitation fees.

Damián Altgelt, executive director of AFCP, said "The cement sector is going through a difficult year, with a drop of close to 25% compared to 2023. We confidently hope that the macroeconomic measures that the government is undertaking will allow us to overcome this transition period soon and recover the highest levels of activity again. In the past four months we have seen around 0.9Mt of cement sold (per month), which is clearly higher than the very depressed levels we had in the first half of 2024.”

Philippines: The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has launched a safeguard measures investigation on cement imports to counter the ‘persistent influx’ affecting the Philippine market, according to the Manila Standard. This investigation has been praised by the Cement Manufacturers’ Association of the Philippines (CeMAP), and aims to support local producers who are reportedly facing competition, despite the country’s production capacity of 50Mt/yr exceeding national demand, which is currently around 35Mt/yr.

Executive director of CeMAP Renato Baja said that imported cement from countries like Vietnam, where domestic demand is low and exports are high, affects local manufacturers. Vietnam contributes 93% of the Philippine’s cement imports, followed by China and Indonesia. According to Baja, local production currently operates at only 55- 60% of its installed capacity, which has increased production costs and forced temporary shutdowns of some plants. The DTI has invited cement manufacturers to submit their views on the imposition of safeguard measures. According to The Philippine Star, the DTI will conduct a preliminary investigation to decide if safeguard measures on cement imports are necessary. This is in line with Republic Act 8800, which allows the imposition of temporary safeguards or increased tariffs to protect domestic industries from an increase in imports.

Pakistan: Despite low domestic cement demand, exports rose in October 2024, with total despatches reaching 4.36Mt, a 9% increase compared to 4Mt in October 2023. The All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association reported a 51% increase in export despatches, from 714,325t in October 2023 to 1.1Mt in October 2024. This increase offset the slow local market demand, which saw a minor decline of 0.5% in domestic despatches to 3.28Mt from 3.3Mt.

Over the first four months of the 2024 financial year (July – October 2024), total cement despatches (domestic and exports) fell by 8% to 14.6Mt from 16Mt in the previous year's corresponding period. Domestic despatches decreased by 15% to 11.4Mt, whereas exports grew by 31%, reaching 3.2Mt from 2.5Mt.

Kazakhstan: Aktobecem will build a cement plant in the Aktobe region with a production capacity of 2Mt/yr. The company intends to invest US$143m in the facility, which will create over 500 jobs, according to Trend. Construction is set to begin in spring 2025, with operations commencing in 2026. The construction of the new plant will reportedly supply 80% of the cement needs of the region and reduce logistics costs.

Romania: CRH has launched a wind farm to supply renewable electricity to its Medgidia cement plant. The wind farm comprises five turbines with a total capacity of 30MW and is expected to generate 80GWh/yr. Now fully operational, the facility can reduce the CO₂ footprint of the cement produced at the plant and contribute to reducing Romania's energy-related CO₂ emissions by 40,000t/yr.

Türkiye: IFC has provided a US$70m 'green' loan to Çimsa to support its decarbonisation efforts, according to a press release from the IFC. The investment will fund energy efficiency projects, modernisation and the installation of solar photovoltaic panels. Expected outcomes include a 10% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and increasing renewable energy usage to 20% by 2025. IFC's Cement Decarbonisation Tool Advisory Service will also assist Çimsa in identifying operational enhancements and further investments for achieving its sustainability goals.

Jamaica: Caribbean Cement has reported a decline in its September 2024 quarter sales by 11% year-on-year, falling to US$37.2m. Third quarter operating earnings dropped by 76% to US$3.6m, largely due to Hurricane Beryl impacting sales and production, alongside increased costs from a scheduled plant maintenance. Earnings before taxation for the third quarter also saw a 69% decline to US$4.8m, and net income dropped by 66% to US$4.2m. ​

From January – September 2024, however, revenue slightly rose by 1% to US$129m. Operating earnings for the nine-month period reached US$36m, up by 4.3% year-on-year. Earnings before taxation for the nine months grew by 11% year-on-year to US$37.2m, while consolidated net income was US$30m, a 12% increase year-on-year.