Displaying items by tag: Asia

Vietnam: The National Statistics Office reported cement production of 105Mt in the first seven months of 2025, up by 15% year-on-year. Output in July 2025 rose by 22% year-on-year to 16.5Mt. Vietnam produced 184Mt of cement in 2024, up by 3.5% on 2023.

India: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the 100% acquisition of Jaiprakash Associates by Dalmia Cement (Bharat). The transaction is part of a corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016.

Dalmia Cement (Bharat) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dalmia Bharat, the ultimate parent of the Dalmia Bharat Group.

US: The government has imposed a 20% import tax on cement from Vietnam, effective from 1 August 2025, doubling the previous 10% rate, according to the Vietnam Cement Association. It said that the move would have a significant impact on cement exporters, as Vietnam is the second largest cement supplier to the US, after Türkiye. It also said that the higher tariffs would now lead to costs being passed on to consumers, with increasing cement prices in the US expected.

Japan: Taiheiyo Cement says it started using an artificial intelligence-based (AI) ship allocation optimisation system in May 2025. Software company Grid provided the technology for the project. The companies say that this is the first such application in the domestic cement industry.

The new ship allocation system analyses large volumess of transportation data and generates optimal ship allocation plans while considering various constraints. It is intended to: reduce transportation costs such as fuel; optimise courses and loading efficiency, with an expected 10% reduction of fuel consumption at the planning stage; enhance inventory management; and reduce planning time by more than 50% compared to manual planning methods.

India: JSW Cement has priced its US$409m initial public offering (IPO) between US$1.58 - US$1.67/share. The company will allocate US$91m to partly fund a new integrated cement facility in Nagaur, Rajasthan and US$59.2m for repayment or prepayment of existing borrowings, according to Mint news. The remaining funds will be used for general corporate expenditures.

South Korea: Domestic cement sales dropped by 17% year-on-year to 18.9Mt in the first six months of 2025, their lowest level in this period since 1992, according to the Korea Cement Association. After peaking at 26Mt in 2023, sales fell by 7.16Mt (27.5%) in two years, driven by a prolonged recession in the construction industry and reduced social overhead capital spending.

A Korea Cement Association official said “The sense of crisis in the cement industry is reaching its worst. Although we have already entered crisis management, it will be difficult to achieve results unless highly effective measures to stimulate the construction economy are introduced. We expect domestic cement sales this year to fall significantly below 40Mt.”

Domestic cement companies such as Sampyo Cement, Ssangyong C&E, Hanil Cement, Asia Cement and Sungshin Cement are expected to see their businesses deteriorate further when results are released in mid-August 2025. Strengthened environmental regulations are also adding pressure to the sector.

Pakistan: Cement despatches rose by 30% year-on-year to 3.99Mt in July 2025 from 3.07Mt in July 2024, according to data from the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA). Local sales grew by 18% to 2.98Mt during the period, while exports increased significantly, by 84%, to 1.01Mt from 0.54Mt previously.

An APCMA spokesperson said “The new fiscal year started on a positive note in spite of disturbing weather conditions in most parts of the country.” The APCMA expressed hope for continued momentum for the rest of 2025, supported by improved macroeconomic indicators.

Uzbekistan: Cement plants in Uzbekistan produced 9.16Mt of Portland cement during the first half of 2025, according data from the National Statistics Committee (NSC). The NSC reported that this was 18.2% more than in the first half of 2024, when 7.74Mt was produced. First half production has now increased by nearly 60% in just two years, with just 5.73Mt produced in the first half of 2023.

North Korea: The Sangwon Cement Complex has reported that it ‘successfully fulfilled its economic plan for July 2025,’ following an overhaul of its No. 1 cement production which is reported to have increased its capacity. This includes an upgrade to the microalloying process used to cast components for the plant, which has enabled longer service life for components and reduced costs.

Local press reported that the plant was ‘intensifying the drive for increased production to send more cement to the forefronts of socialist construction.’

India: Ambuja Cements consolidated revenue rose by 23% year-on-year to US$1.17bn in the first quarter of its 2026 financial year (FY2026), from US$0.96bn in the same period in the 2025 year. Its operating earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) grew by 53% to US$223m in the period to 30 June 2025 from US$146m previously. Sales volumes of cement increased by 20% to 18.4Mt from 15.3Mt.

Vinod Bahety, the CEO of Ambuja Cements, said: “Our first quarter results are more than numbers - they reflect a vibrant mood, a transformation narrative rooted in speed, scale and sustainability.” He added, “As we march towards 140Mt/yr ecosystem by FY2028, we remain focused on reimagining cement as a solutions-driven customer-centric business.” The company says it currently has a cement production capacity of 105Mt/yr. It is working towards increasing this to 118Mt/yr by March 2026.