Displaying items by tag: Asia

Sri Lanka: Domestic cement demand rose to 4.71Mt since July 2024, up from 3.96Mt, according to Tokyo Cement. The company attributed the increase to the ‘latent demand and low base effect of the previous year.’ It said that local production has expanded, despite intensified competition from a new grinding operator and multiple cement importers, capitalising on the relaxed cement import restrictions. The company expects demand to improve further, supported by private sector-led construction and government infrastructure projects.

However, Tokyo Cement warned “The heightened volatility in the global trade policies and ongoing regional conflicts pose downside risks that add to the uncertainty and may jeopardise some of the hard-fought economic gains the country is working towards.”

It added “These factors may constrain capital inflows, dampen export prospects and impede economic recovery.”

Vietnam: Vietnam produced 90Mt of cement in the first half of 2025, up by 15% year-on-year, according to the latest data from the government’s National Statistics Office. June 2025 production rose by 27% year-on-year to reach 17.1Mt in June 2025. Revised 2024 data showed full-year output at 184.2Mt, up by 3.5% year-on-year.

Vietnam: Vietnam Cement Industry Corporation (Vicem) recorded a consolidated after-tax profit of US$1.3m in the first half of 2025, following two consecutive years of losses, according to The Investor magazine. Clinker production reached 7.96Mt, up by 6.5% year-on-year, while cement exports totalled 0.71Mt. Looking ahead to the rest of 2025, Vicem expects domestic cement consumption to grow in the second half of 2025 due to increased public investment in infrastructure and recovering real estate supply, despite challenges from rain and storms in the northern and central regions, which could potentially affect demand. In addition, the industry continues to face challenges such as oversupply, price competition and changing customer preferences.

Vicem chair Nguyen Quoc Viet said that the company will focus on maintaining profitability by optimising clinker operations, enhancing efficiency and securing raw material supplies by securing a license and approval for mining exploration. It will also reportedly invest in technology upgrades and accelerate waste heat recovery power projects to reduce energy costs and CO₂ emissions.

Vicem manages 10 plants, housing 16 production lines, with an annual capacity of 20Mt/yr of clinker and 27Mt/yr of cement. It was the only one of six firms under the Ministry of Construction to report a loss in 2024, when it recorded a consolidated loss of US$55.15m.

Philippines: Aboitiz Construction has signed a three-year contract with Republic Cement and Building Materials (RCBM) to deliver site-specific services at the Norzagaray plant in Bulacan, the Teresa plant in Rizal, and the Danao City plant in Cebu.

The scope includes industrial housekeeping and general upkeep at Teresa, industrial housekeeping at Bulacan and technical manpower support for maintenance at Danao. The project will source around 80% of manpower from local communities.

Pakistan: Lucky Cement exported over 3Mt of cement and clinker by sea in the 2024–25 financial year, the highest on record for the company and for Pakistan, according to Mettis Link News. The producer accounted for 42% of the country’s total cement and clinker exports during this period. The company said that 60% of the energy used for the export operations came from renewable sources, including wind, solar and waste heat recovery.

Myanmar: The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement will distribute more than US$250,000-worth of cement, funded by the National Disaster Management Committee, to repair homes damaged by the 28 March 2025 earthquake, according to Eleven Myanmar news. The earthquake affected 54 townships in eight regions and states.

At a meeting of the Myanmar Cement Manufacturers Association, its chair said that it would coordinate with local plants to produce and distribute cement, and hold market fairs in Nay Pyi Taw and Mandalay to ensure supply to the general public. The Union Minister added that assistance would be given to damaged plants, specifically in obtaining spare parts and raw materials.

China/Russia: Jinyu Jidong Cement has despatched its first batch of cement products to Russia, following final quality inspection and packaging. The company, part of the Jinyu Group, aims to strengthen Sino-Russian Far East cooperation and expand into international markets. According to local press, it has passed the Russian GOST certification audit, becoming one of the first cement producers in Heilongjiang Province to be approved for the export of building materials to Russia.

Pakistan: Local cement despatches are expected to fall by 28% month-on-month and 15% year-on-year to 2.63Mt in June 2025, primarily due to reduced working days over the Eid holidays. Daily average sales dropped to 88,000t from 118,000t in May 2025. Provisional data covering 22 days of the month showed 1.75Mt of cement sold, with full-month estimates at 2.5Mt, below the 11-month average of 3.06Mt.

Total sales for June 2025 are forecast at 3.54Mt, flat year-on-year but down 24% from May 2025. Sector capacity utilisation is projected at 52%, down from 68% in May 2025. For the 2024–25 fiscal year, total cement sales are expected to remain flat, with a 5% drop in local sales and a 30% rise in exports. Analysts anticipate recovery in the 2026 financial year, supported by improved macroeconomic conditions and lower interest rates.

Japan: Mitsubishi UBE Cement’s joint project with the city of Kitakyushu to pilot carbon recycled materials in public infrastructure has been selected for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s 2024 grant programme.

Centred around the producer’s Kyushu plant in Kurosaki, Kitakyushu, the project will recycle CO₂ and waste cement from local sources for use in municipal construction. Mitsubishi UBE Cement said it aims to establish a model for resource circulation that can be expanded nationwide.

India: UltraTech Cement has commissioned its second cement grinding mill at the Maihar unit in Madhya Pradesh, adding 1.8Mt/yr to its domestic production capacity. The first mill at the site began operations in March 2025.

The expansion raises UltraTech’s total grey cement capacity in India to 186.86Mt/yr and 192.26Mt/yr globally. The company said the move forms ‘part of its larger strategy.’