Displaying items by tag: Belarus

Belarus: The Council of Ministers has required companies to obtain a special license for importing Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) from outside the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). The requirement will take effect later this month and will be in effect for six months, according to the Belapan news agency. The new regulations have been introduced to support the local sector.

In January to April 2019, Belarus imported 0.13Mt of cement including 65,000t from other EEU countries, according to the National Statistical Committee. In the same period, Belarus’ companies made 1.25Mt of cement, an increase of nearly 12% year-on-year, and exported 0.44Mt.

Eurasian Economic Union: The Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) produced 12Mt of cement in the first quarter of 2019. Armenia produced 68,000t and imported 47,200t. Belarus produced 0.84Mt, imported 79,500t and exported 0.26Mt. Kyrgyzstan produced 0.35Mt, imported 38,600t and exported 0.15Mt. Kazakhstan produced 1.47Mt, imported 0.11Mt and exported 0.33Mt. Russia produced 9.3Mt, imported 0.18Mt and exported 0.17Mt. Usually production in the first quarter represents 16 – 19% of annual production. Consumption of cement in the EEU region is expected to grow by 2.5% year-on-year in 2019.

Belarus/Moldova/Russia/Ukraine: Tariffs on on imported building materials from Belarus, Moldova and Russia imposed by the Ukrainian government will start on 26 June 2019, according to Interfax. The interdepartmental commission for international trade has set duties of 115% for goods originating in Russia, 57% for goods from Belarus and 94% for goods from Moldova.

Belarus: President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has issued an edict supporting loan deferments for the country’s three major cement producers. The total amount includes loans totalling about US$550m that were provided by China’s Eximbank in 2008 – 2009 for upgrades to the company’s plants, according to the Belapan news agency. The loans were repaid to the Chinese bank by the Belarusian government in the period from 2015 to 2019.

Under the edict, Belarusian Cement Plant should repay its debt to the government in the period from 2029 to 2038, Krasnaselskbudmateryyaly’s debt should be repaid in 2030 - 2037 and Krychawtsementnashyfer’s debt should be repaid in 2038 - 2049. The edict also sets out a repayment schedule for interest on the loans with a total of US$370m to the mid-2020s.

In addition, the energy ministry has been ordered to grant the cement companies a deferment until the end of 2019, followed by a repayment plan to 2023 for late natural gas bills.

Belarus/Moldova/Russia/Ukraine: The Ukrainian interdepartmental commission for international trade has imposed antidumping tariffs on imported clinker and Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) from Russia, Belarus and Moldova. It has set duties of 115% for goods originating in Russia, 57% for goods from Belarus and 94% for goods from Moldova, according to Interfax. The tariffs will have a duration of five years. Previously the government had embargoed OPC, alumina, slag, sulphate-resistant cement and similar hydraulic cements, including clinkers, from Russia.

Belarus: President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has demanded that the local cement industry improve its efficiency and increase its exports. He made the comments following the approval of the appointment of Alyaksandr Dawhala as the new chief executive officer of Belarusian Cement, according to the Belapan news agency. He noted that export sales were improving with a focus on the European Union although key markets also include Poland, Latvia and Ukraine.

Belarus: The government has issued a directive ordering an increase in its stake in 12 large companies including Belarusian Cement. The government’s stake will be increased by amounts equal to the financial support the companies have been given, according to the Belapan news agency. The government reportedly invested around Euro70m into the companies.

Pakistan: Belorussian company Belaz has sold a dump truck to Pakistan for the first time. The 45t vehicle will be used to transport of gypsum and clay to a plant owned by Cherat Cement, according to the Dawn newspaper. It has been supplied via the distribution company Greaves. The cement producer plans to buy up to 15 such vehicles in the current year.

Belarus: The government is considering offering subsidies to local cement producers. The matter was discussed at a meeting examining the performance of various companies chaired by the Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, according to the Belarusian Telegraph Agency. First Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Turchin said that cement companies had invested in projects only for the price of cement to fall ‘dramatically’ leading to financial losses. If any aid is provided it will come with government-enforced targets.

Belarus: The Architecture and Construction Ministry has supported the country’s use of a commodity exchange to sell cement. Deputy Architecture and Construction Minister Alexander Sidorov said that his ministry was prepared to support an increase in supply to the exchange if demand allowed, according to the Belarusian Telegraph Agency (BelTA). It was previously announced that the country was planning to make 0.2Mt/yr of 10% of the country’s cement exports available to purchase via the Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange (BUCE) from the start of 2019.