Pakistan: Cherat Cement CEO Azam Farooq and fellow executives met Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on 15 November 2024 to discuss the potential establishment of a new cement plant in Dera Ismail Khan. The Balochistan Times newspaper has reported that the Governor ‘assured full support’ for the proposed project.

India: Grasim Industries reported 11% year-on-year growth in sales to US$3.98bn in the second quarter of the 2025 financial year. Earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 10% year-on-year to US$479m, partly due to reduced profitability in the cement business. Group net profit dropped by 66% to US$46.2m.

Azerbaijan: The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has called on governments at the COP29 climate conference to support the decarbonisation of the cement industry. The association published its Net Zero Progress Report 2024/25 to coincide with the conference. The report details the ‘extensive decarbonisation work’ currently underway in the industry, including accelerating carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), switching to renewable energy sources, advancing the circular economy and reducing cement’s clinker factor. The sector expects to commission its first net zero cement plant, following a carbon capture upgrade to Heidelberg Materials’ Brevik plant in Norway, later in 2024.

GCCA president Fernando González said “Our industry is engaged in the most significant transformation in its history. To fully unlock our decarbonisation progress in this crucial Decade to Deliver, we urgently need effective policy support."

India: UltraTech Cement announced plans to make a private placement of non-convertible debentures (NCDs) on 12 November 2024. MarketLine News has reported that the value of the proposed placement as US$356m.

Türkiye: OYAK Cement has announced net sales of US$333m and a 17% year-on-year rise in earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to US$111m for the third quarter of 2024. The company recorded a net profit of US$61.3m for the third quarter and US$155m for the first nine months of 2024.

India: RLJ Infracement plans to more than double the production capacity of its 0.3Mt/yr Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, grinding plant to 0.66Mt/yr.

Reuters has reported that the plant's cement supplier, Prism Johnson, now plans to terminate its supply agreement with Rockhill Hi-Tech Cement. Rockhill Hi-Tech Cement operates the 0.22Mt/yr Patna grinding plant in neighbouring Bihar.

Puerto Rico: The Puerto Rico Economic Development Bank (BDE) has reported an increase in cement sales, reaching 1.41 million 43kg bags in October 2024, the highest since March 2023. This marks a 15% rise from October 2023, with recent months averaging 1.28 million bags.

BDE President Luis Alemañy said "We see a recovery in the construction sector, particularly in cement sales, which predicts a good impact on infrastructure development and job creation in Puerto Rico. Although the 2024 fiscal year closed with a 1% decrease in cement sales compared to the previous year, the start of the 2025 fiscal year shows a 6% increase in sales between July and October. This allows us to anticipate a progressive recovery in this key sector for our economy."

China: Shandong Province will curb cement production from 15 November 2024 to 15 March 2025 to reduce air pollution. The measure, similar to last winter's, was announced by the Province's industry and environment ministries. Shandong's reliance on inefficient captive coal-fired power plants means the measure could reduce coal demand significantly.

Japan: Taiheiyo Cement has reported net sales of US$2.86bn for the six months that ended on 30 September 2024, a 5.5% increase compared to US$2.71bn a year earlier. However, the company’s operating profit for the six-month period was US$115m, a decrease of more than 50% compared to US$325m in the first six months of the prior financial year.

Japan: Sumitomo Osaka Cement has reported net sales of US708m for the six months to 30 September 2024, a decline of 0.3% compared to US$710m a year earlier. The company’s net profit slumped to US$6.1m in the six-month period from US$37.5m in the first six months of the 2023 financial year, a fall of 87.4% year-on-year.