Displaying items by tag: China
Sri Lanka: A leaked letter from investment body the Agency for Development has revealed Chinese state pressure towards a tender for building a new cement grinding plant in the Hambantota investment zone. In the letter, reported upon by the News First television network, the head of the agency states that the Chinese Embassy asked that a Chinese investor, Sinoma Nanjing, be given priority for the project otherwise it would ‘lose confidence’ in the scheme. He added that the Chinese investors would pull out if other investors were also allowed to produce cement in the zone. The letter also reveals that the agency has proposed that Sinoma Nanjing form a joint venture with Ceylon Steel Corporation.
Brazil: Votorantim’s net revenue from its cement business fell by 14% year-on-year to US$731m in first quarter of 2017 from US$848m in the same period in 2016. The cement and steel producer blamed the continuing decline on an 8% drop in cement consumption which triggered lower sales volumes and prices. Negative currency exchange effects also contributed to the situation as the country continued to suffer from the on going political crisis and the resulting negative effects on the local economy. The company’s adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for its cement division decreased by 49% to US$60.9m from US$119m.
Outside of Brazil the group started up a 1.2Mt/yr expansion project in Turkey in April 2017. In North America its good performance driven by strong demand and cost optimisation helped to offset the group’s overall performance. In China the group sold ‘non-core’ assets worth Euro30m in May 2017.
US: China's Sinoma TCDRI and Amec Foster Wheeler are forming a joint venture to sell turnkey installations for the cement industry in the US. The two engineering companies revealed their relationship in the sector at the 2017 IEEE-PCA Cement Conference taking place in Calgary, Canada. The companies are negotiating their first US tenders and hope to make an announcement later in 2017. Sinoma is one of the largest suppliers of equipment for cement plants in the world but it has yet to build a plant in the United States.
Chong Cha Hwa resigns from China Shanshui Cement due to physical trauma following occupation
10 May 2017China: Chong Cha Hwa has resigned as a non-executive director from China Shanshui Cement due to physical trauma suffered during the ‘illegal’ occupation of the Jinan properties of its Shandong Shanshui in early April 2017. Chong said that the occupation had impeded him from carrying out his duties.
China: China Tianrui Group Cement says that Yang Yongzheng, a non-executive director, and Yu Chun Liang, a joint company secretary, have been detained by the police in Jinan. The police are holding the pair on alleged violations of criminal law in relation to ‘other duties which are outside the business of the company’ that took place on 8 April 2017. The company added that the pair have not been held as guilty or tried at a court of law.
China Tianrui Group Cement says that the incident was not connected to the company or its subsidies and that the it is not related to the performance of either person. It added that the ‘incident’ was unlikely to effect the business and operations of the group.
In early April 2017 the Jinan properties of its Shandong Shanshui, a subsidiary of China Tianrui Group Cement, was occupied by a former manager of the company and his associates. In the resulting debacle, representatives of Shanshui Cement were held against their will for over two hours by a hostile crowd until local police helped them to escape.
India: Y V Ramana Rao, president of Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI) Vijayawada chapter has said that the building associations have solicited quotes for cement from Chinese producers because local prices are too high. The government has asked local cement producers to cap their prices, according to the Economic Times. However the builders associations have rejected some of the fixed prices as being too high.
China National Building Material grows revenue by 10% to US$3.03bn in first quarter of 2017
28 April 2017China: China National Building Material Company’s (CNBM)’s operating revenue grew by 10% year-on-year to US$3.03bn in the first quarter of 2017 from US$2.75bn in the same period in 2016. Its net profit grew by 50% to US$41m from US$27.6m. The result represents a turnaround in the company’s performance following stagnant growth in 2016.
Nepal: Hongshi Shivam Cement’s Sardi cement plant project in Nalwalparasi is likely to be delayed due to slow progress by the government in building a road to a nearby limestone quarry. The project was due to start production in May 2017 but the slow rate of investment by the Chinese firm’s state partner has caused this completion estimate to be revised, according to the Kathmandu Post. Other infrastructure requirements for the project that are slowing it down include a 40km road to the site and an electricity substation.
China: Anhui Conch Cement’s net profit has grown by 86% year-on-year to US$312m in the first quarter of 3017 from US$168m in the same period of 2016. Its revenue rose by 29% to US$1.98bn from US$1.54bn. It attributed the gains in profit to increases in sales volumes and prices.
China to invest US$2bn in Bangladesh construction sector
26 April 2017Bangladesh: The China Building Materials Federation has expressed interest in investing US$2bn in the country’s infrastructure. A 12-person delegation from China met with the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) to discuss the proposal that includes developing the cement sector. Both sides have agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding on the potential investment.