Displaying items by tag: Afghanistan

Iran: Cement production rose by 14.4% year-on-year to 35.6Mt in the first half of the local calendar year that started in March 2020 from 31.1Mt in the same period in the previous year. The sector exported 5.8Mt of cement with a value of US$128m to 28 countries according to the Mehr News Agency. India, Afghanistan, Russia, Iraq, Qatar, Kenya, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, China and Oman were among the export destinations of cement.

Uzbekistan: Cement companies produced 7.8Mt of cement in the first nine months of 2020, a rise of 2.6% year-on-year from the same period in 2019. The Trend News Agency reports that the country exported US$24.2m-worth of cement in the period, to Afghanistan, Singapore, Russia, China and Turkey. The value of its cement imports – from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Iran and Russia – exceeded this by more than double at US$870m.

Tajikistan: Data from the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies (MOINT) shows that Tajikistan exported 0.99Mt of cement in the first nine months of 2020. 0.56Mt of cement was exported to Uzbekistan, 0.39Mt to Afghanistan and 43,000t to Kyrgyzstan, according to Asia Plus. Local cement companies produced over 3.2Mt in the same period. The country has 16 registered cement plants with a total production capacity of 5.6Mt.

Iran: Data from the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) shows that cement producers exported 5.85Mt of cement in the first five months of the local 2021 financial year, which began on 20 March 2020. The value of cement exports fell by 52% year-on-year to US$128m from US$266m, according to the Tehran Times newspaper. Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan were the top destination for the exports. Cement was also sent to India, Russia, Qatar, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, China, and Oman.

In its 2020 financial year Iran exported a total of US$7.0bn-worth of building materials and produced 85Mt of cement against a domestic consumption of 65Mt.

Iran: Sistan and Baluchestan Province has reported total exports of 54,000t of cement to Afghanistan in the first quarter of the Iranian fiscal year (21 March - 21 June 2020). Fars News Agency has reported that a total of 2060 trucks made the deliveries with an average load of 26t. Iran exports 11Mt/yr of cement, primarily to North Africa and the Gulf states, against a domestic consumption of 61Mt/yr.

Pakistan: Pakistan has recorded year-on-year production growth of 34%, to 4.49Mt in February 2020 from 3.35Mt in February 2019. Consumption grew by 31% to 3.74Mt from 2.84Mt in February 2019. Exports throughout the month were 753,000t, up by 48% from 508,000t. Export growth was bolstered by a weak Pakistani rupee and was stronger in southern Pakistan than in northern Pakistan, with the latter feeling the effects of lowered Afghan demand and zero exports to India.

Tajikistan: Tajikistan produced 4.20Mt of cement in 2019; up by 11% from 3.80Mt in 2018. Cement exports in the period rose by 11% year-on-year to 1.55Mt from 1.40Mt. 2018’s exports amounted to 0.89Mt (64%) to Uzbekistan, 0.58Mt (41%) to Afghanistan and 0.08Mt (5.8%) to Krygyzstan. Asia-Plus News has reported that tightened pollution legislation in China has driven Chinese-based producers, which accounted for over 90% of Tajik production in 2018, to relocate operations to their country’s western neighbour.

Iran: Shahrood Cement Company, which operates a 1.9Mt/yr integrated cement plant in Shahrood in north-eastern Iran, produced over 0.2Mt of cement over the nine month period ending 21 December 2019. Semnan province Industry, Mine and Trade Organisation chair Behrouz Asvadi said that all of the cement produced by the company was exported to countries on the Caspian Sea as well as to Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. Revenue over the period was US$5.06m. The company is meeting to discuss issues in shipping and crediting.

Iran: Cement producers in Iran reported growth of 22% year-on-year in exports of cement and clinker over the eight months between 21 March 2019 and 21 November 2019 to 11.4Mt from 9.34Mt. The Financial Tribune newspaper has reported that 37 countries received Iranian cement or clinker over the period. The leading importers of cement were Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Russia. Clinker markets included Iraq, the UAE and China.

Afghanistan: The Afghan Ministry of Mines and Petroleum has reported progress in discussions on projects totalling an investment of US$350m, including improvements to the Jabal Siraj and Samangan cement plants worth US$170m and US$136m respectively.

Wadsam reports that the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industries has voiced concerns as to delays caused by the lengthy approval process for the ‘much-needed projects.’ With the successful conclusion of these talks, the plans will require the ratification of the High Economic Council and subsequently the Afghan Cabinet.