South Korea: The Korea Cement Association, whose members include Sampyo Cement, Ssangyong C&E, Hanil Cement, Asia Cement, Halla Cement and Sungshin Cement, reported that domestic cement demand in 2025 is expected to reach 36.5Mt, down by 16.5% year-on-year, marking the lowest level since 1991, at 37.1Mt. Next year’s forecast indicates continued stagnation, with demand projected to decline a further 1% to around 36Mt.

According to the association, the country’s cement production peaked at 61.8Mt in 1997 before plunging to 44.6Mt during the 1998 financial crisis. Although production recovered to 56.71Mt by 2017, demand has since fallen by nearly 20Mt in just eight years.

An association official said, “While the sharp decline in domestic demand is quite shocking in numerical terms, the early 1990s were a period when the industry’s production capacity was 42.1Mt/yr, and cement domestic demand was rapidly increasing due to new town construction projects being developed in the outskirts of the Seoul metropolitan area as part of national policy. Currently, production capacity has increased to 61Mt/yr, but domestic demand is plummeting, so considering the utilisation rate, there is an enormous difference beyond simple numerical comparison.”

Cement exports rose by 52% to 4.5Mt in 2025, while for 2026, domestic demand is projected at 36Mt and exports at 3.5Mt.

Egypt: Titan Egypt, a subsidiary of Greece-based Titan Group, plans to invest US$63.5m over the next two years to expand production capacity and increase the use of alternative fuels to reduce costs, according to CEO Amr Reda.

The company operates two cement plants in Beni Suef and Alexandria with a combined capacity of 4.5Mt/yr, which will rise to 5.5Mt/yr following the planned expansions. Titan Egypt currently exports 30% of its production. Exports were 550,000t in 2024, with targets of 850,000t by the end of 2025 and 1Mt in 2026. Key export markets include Libya, Syria, Europe, the US and West Africa, alongside reconstruction projects in Gaza and Sudan.

India: Adani Cement and Finland-based Coolbrook have announced an agreement to implement the world’s first commercial deployment of Coolbrook’s RotoDynamic heater (RDH) at Adani’s Boyareddypalli integrated cement plant in Andhra Pradesh. The project reportedly aims to ‘significantly’ reduce CO₂ emissions from cement production.

The RDH system will decarbonise the calcination phase of cement production by supplying ‘clean’ heat powered entirely by renewable energy from Adani. The installation is expected to cut around 60,000t/yr of CO₂ emissions, with potential for a tenfold increase in future phases, according to the producer.

The partnership also includes plans to expand the use of RotoDynamic technology across other Adani Cement sites, with five additional projects targeted within two years. The first-generation RDH will deliver hot gases of around 1000°C to dry and optimise the use of alternative fuels.

Tajikistan: The country produced 3.7Mt of cement between January and September 2025, up by 512,000t or 16% year-on-year, according to the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan. The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade forecasts further growth, with production expected to reach 4.62Mt in 2026 and 4.82Mt in 2027, a 4% annual rise. Tajikistan has 16 cement plants, with more than 80% of total output coming from three Tajik-Chinese joint ventures: Jungtsai Mohir Cement, Huaxin Gayur Cement and Huaxin Gayur Sughd Cement.

New capacity is also under development. Orion Invest is building a 1.8Mt/yr cement plant in the Qubodiyon district of Khatlon province, which will reportedly become the largest facility in the country upon completion. The current largest producer is Tojikcement, near Dushanbe, which opened in 2023 with a 1.2Mt/yr capacity.

Japan: Taiheiyo Cement reported net sales of US$2.84bn for the six months ending 30 September 2025, a 1% decline year-on-year. Operating profit fell by 10% to US$213m, while ordinary profit dropped by 7% to US$213m. For the full financial year ending 31 March 2026, the company forecasts net sales of US$5.87bn and an operating profit of US$453m.

China: The country’s carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions were unchanged year-on-year in the third quarter of 2025, continuing the flat-to-declining trend seen since March 2024.

Emissions from the production of cement and other building materials fell by 7% during the quarter, reflecting the prolonged real-estate downturn that has reduced construction activity. In the first nine months of 2025, China added 240GW of solar and 61GW of wind capacity, which could set a new record, according to Carbon Brief.

Saudi Arabia: Al Jouf Cement recorded a net loss of US$17m in the first nine months of 2025, marking a 130% increase from US$7.4m in the same period of 2024. Revenues for the period rose by 6% to US$51.3m, up from US$48.4m a year earlier, according to the company’s financial statements.

In the third quarter of 2025, the company’s net loss widened by 112% year-on-year to US$6.7m, compared to US$3.2m in the third quarter of 2024. Quarterly revenues fell by 6% to US$14.5m from US$15.4m in the same period of 2024. Compared to the second quarter of 2025, net losses increased by 7%, while revenues declined by 21% from US$18.5m to US$14.6m.

Argentina: Cement consumption increased to 968,000t in October 2025, up by 7% compared to 900,000t in October 2024, according to data from AFCP.

Of this total, 967,800t came from domestic production, while 559t were imported. Cumulative consumption for the first 10 months of 2025 reached 8.43Mt, up by 7% from 7.86Mt in the same period of 2024. Compared to September 2025, cement consumption grew by 5.5%.

Vietnam: The country exported 3.5Mt of cement and clinker worth US$128m in October 2025, up by 30% in volume and by 20% in value year-on-year, according to data from the government-run National Statistics Office (NSO).

From January to October 2025, exports were 29.8Mt, valued at US$1.11bn, representing an increase of 20% in volume and 10% in value compared to the same period in 2024.

In 2024, Vietnam exported 29.7Mt of cement with a value of US$1.14bn, down by 5% in volume and by 10% in value from the previous year.

Italy: Cementir Holding’s cement volumes rose by 2% and aggregates by 5%, while ready-mix concrete remained stable at -0.3% in the first nine months of 2025, compared to the same period in 2024. Revenue stood at €1.23bn, down by 0.7% from €1.24bn in the same period of 2024. Earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) declined by 3% year-on-year from €296m to €287m, while profit before tax dropped by 17% year-on-year from €210m to €174m. Despite geopolitical challenges and a weak macroeconomic environment, Cementir confirmed all full-year targets.

Francesco Caltagirone Jr, chair and CEO, said “The results for the first nine months of 2025 are in line with our expectations, with the third quarter showing an improvement in cement and aggregates volumes. We are effectively managing operational challenges while continuing to pursue our strategic objectives and growth path with determination. At the same time, we are accelerating our decarbonisation projects, particularly in carbon capture and storage technologies. While awaiting potential market opportunities, we remain committed to further strengthening our financial position.”