Displaying items by tag: Import

Philippines: The Tariff Commission (TC) has recommended the imposition of a US$1.24/t safeguard duty on cement imports to protect the domestic industry from rising competition.

The commission said domestic cement qualifies as a ‘like product’ and directly competes with imports, which have been arriving in increased volumes. It concluded that the increase in imports had caused serious injury to local producers.

The proposed safeguard covers ordinary Portland cement type 1 and blended cement. It is designed as a temporary measure to provide relief and allow the local industry time to adjust to import pressures. The impact is expected to be greater on lower-priced shipments, as the equivalent ad valorem rate will depend on the import value. Cement imports from developing countries with de minimis volumes, including Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand will be exempt. The Department of Trade and Industry will determine whether new exporting countries qualify under this exemption. The commission also clarified that the safeguard is temporary and will be gradually liberalised, allowing competition to normalise over time.

Rwanda: Cement producer Cimerwa will invest about US$190m in a new clinker plant, aiming to reduce its dependence on imports and save an estimated US$2.88bn in foreign exchange over the next 25 years. CEO Mangesh Kumar Verma said the plant, which will be built in Musanze, is expected to begin operations within two years with a capacity of 0.72Mt/yr of clinker. The plant will meet the company’s local demand of 0.54Mt/yr, with the surplus exported. CIMERWA CEO, Mangesh Kumar Verma, said that if limestone reserves prove larger than expected, there is provision to add another line. The investment follows rising costs from importing clinker, which currently amount to around 0.36Mt/yr at a cost of US$3.7m–4.0m. Verma added that clinker makes up about 70% of cement production costs, rising to 95% when imported.

Cimerwa’s unaudited financial results for the nine months ending 30 June 2025 showed that revenues were up by 50% year-on-year to US$75m, driven largely by its July 2024 acquisition of Prime Cement. However, profit before tax dropped by 23% to US$7.7m, reportedly due to input cost increases and continued depreciation of the Rwandan Franc. The company said that the Musanze clinker plant will stabilise production costs and position Rwanda as a net exporter, supporting large-scale infrastructure projects such as the New International Airport in Bugesera.

Zimbabwe: PPC’s cement sales rose by 22% year-on-year during the four months to 31 July 2025 as demand surged, boosted by a 30% tariff on imports introduced in May 2025. The tariff was introduced through Statutory Instrument 50A of 2025, under a plan to bolster local production by cutting reliance on imports, and to support domestic manufacturers, according to The Chronicle newspaper.

In a statement accompanying financial results for the period, PPC said “Cement sales volumes in Zimbabwe increased by 22% in the current period compared to the comparable period, largely as a result of a combination of strong consumer demand and the positive impact of the introduction of a 30% tariff on imported cement in May 2025.”

World: Market analysis agency S&P Global has collated the latest data on the global seaborne cement trade in the first half of 2025. Citing research by shipbroking house Howe Robinson Partners, it reported total volumes of 107Mt in the six-month period, up by 7% year-on-year from 100Mt in the first half of 2024. This is the largest global first-half volume recorded since 2021. Full-year seaborne cement trade volumes were 207Mt in 2024, up by 1.5% from 204Mt in 2023.

Vietnam and Türkiye remained the leading global cement exporters, with 16.1Mt and 12.5Mt, 15% and 12% of the total, respectively. Both countries slightly increased their export volumes. Next up in the rankings, Egyptian shipments rose by 14% to 10.9Mt, overtaking Iran, with 6.5Mt (down by 10%). Other rapid growth geographies included Indonesia, with 7.2Mt (up by 22%) and Pakistan, with 4.4Mt (up by 26%).

On the import side, despatches to the US fell by 1% to 11.4Mt, while Bangladeshi imports rose by 9% to 8.7Mt. West Africa was the largest regional market in terms of volumes. It imported 11.8Mt, up by 17%.

Romania: Minister of Economy Radu Miruta has asked the European Commission to consider restricting cement imports from outside the EU, following complaints from local producers about unfair competition. According to Miruta, cement imports from non-EU neighbours have increased sharply, because they benefit from exemptions on environmental standards and carbon certificate costs that EU producers must bear.

The minister has reportedly met with Denis Redonnet, Deputy Director-General of DG Trade at the European Commission, and an official request for the analysis of the imposition of a limit on the quantities of cement imported from non-EU countries will be sent to Brussels. Romanian cement producers argue that cheaper imports are eroding competitiveness and threatening domestic output. The European Commission has the power to investigate and, if necessary, introduce safeguards to protect EU industry from market distortions caused by imports.

US: Total shipments of Portland and blended cement, including imports, were an estimated 9.16Mt in June 2025, a 2% decrease from 9.40Mt in June 2024, according to the latest US Geological Survey data. Shipments for the first six months of 2025 reached 47.0Mt, down by 5.3% year-on-year. The leading cement-consuming states were, in descending order, Texas, California, Florida, Ohio, and Illinois, which together accounted for 38% of total shipments in June 2025.

Clinker production, excluding Puerto Rico, was estimated at 6.29Mt in June 2025, down by 2% from 6.40Mt in the same month of 2024. For the first half of 2025, clinker output reached 30.8Mt, an 8% decline from 33.6Mt in the same period of 2024. Cement and clinker imports, including those through the San Juan customs district in Puerto Rico, totalled 2.61Mt in June 2025, an 11% increase compared with June 2024. Imports for the year to June 2025 reached 12.4Mt.

Mauritania/Algeria: Ciment du Nord has signed a supply agreement with Algeria’s state-owned Groupe Industriel des Ciments d’Algérie (GICA). The deal marks the first direct partnership between the two companies and will set clinker export volumes to Mauritania, with pricing terms still reportedly under negotiation.

“Thanks to this agreement, we will import the raw materials needed to manufacture cement directly from Algeria. The Mauritanian market is important, and this partnership will have a positive impact,” said Mohamed Abdallah Ould Zein, CEO of Ciment du Nord. Ould Zein added that the agreement is expected to strengthen Mauritania’s cement industry by securing direct clinker supply from Algeria and reducing reliance on intermediaries.

Sierra Leone: IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has announced a US$24m financing package for MACCEM Industries to build and operate a new cement grinding plant in Freetown. The project aims to reduce Sierra Leone’s reliance on cement imports, improve access to locally produced building materials and create new jobs. The package includes a US$12m loan from IFC’s own account and an additional US$12m from the IDA20 IFC-MIGA Private Sector Window Blended Finance Facility. The new plant has a planned capacity of 657,000t/yr and is expected to meet up to 65% of the country’s domestic cement demand. It will also reportedly integrate solar energy into its operations.

Ahmad Mackie, CEO of Maccem Industries, said “Together we are building the country’s first cement grinding plant in four decades, a project that will reduce import dependency, create jobs, empower local businesses, and set a stronger foundation for sustainable and inclusive growth.”

Abdu Muwonge, World Bank Group joint country representative in Sierra Leone, added “IFC’s partnership with MACCEM will support the development of housing and vital infrastructure such as roads, housing, water systems and energy projects.”

Spain: Cement consumption rose by 8% year-on-year to 10.5Mt in the first eight months of 2025, an increase of 0.8Mt compared to the same period in 2024, according to data from the Spanish Cement Manufacturers Association (Oficemen). Growth accelerated over the summer, with July and August 2025 registering double-digit increases of 12% and 13%, to reach 1.52Mt and 1.17Mt respectively. July 2025 marked the highest monthly consumption since September 2011. In total, an additional 0.29Mt were consumed in July and August 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.

On a rolling annual basis, consumption reached 15.7Mt between September 2024 and August 2025, up by 9% year-on-year, equivalent to 1.31Mt more. Ricardo de Pablos, newly elected president of Oficemen, said “As we progressed before the summer, all indicators point to our performance this year being more positive than expected. In this context, in which sustainability and decarbonisation are major challenges, the improvement in our results, despite the difficulties the sector has experienced due to the impact of recent crises, contributes to continuing to advance toward our goal of net-zero emissions.”

Exports fell by 6% in the first eight months of 2025, totalling 3.06Mt, down by 0.18Mt from the same period in 2024. Oficemen noted a 20% decline in July 2025 exports that was only partially offset by 14% growth in August 2025. Imports continued to rise, up by 12% year-on-year to 1.11Mt of cement and clinker through August 2025, 0.12Mt more than in the same period in 2024.

Cameroon: The Central Africa Cement (CAC) plant in Koukoue, Edéa district, was inaugurated on 19 September 2025, in a ceremony chaired by Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development Fuh Calixtus. The event was also attended by the Minister of Transport and local leaders. The US$21m project has a production capacity of 1Mt/yr, and will use local resources such as limestone and pozzolan, while importing clinker. Cement output will serve both domestic demand and export markets, according to Afrik Info.

The new facility will reportedly create 121 direct jobs and boost local supply with affordable cement. It also reinforces Cameroon’s position as a cement hub in Central Africa and aligns with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), which aim to increase competitiveness in international trade.