Displaying items by tag: Import
Congolese cement producers support import ban
10 November 2017Democratic Republic of the Congo: Cement producers have expressed their support for a ban on cement imports. The comments were made during an evaluation meeting on the ban held by the Minister of Foreign Trade, Jean Lucien Bussa, according to the Congolese News Agency. The minister noted, that since the ban was implemented on 25 August 2017, cement prices had not risen. Before the ban started imports from Lufu, Angola were blamed for flooding the market.
Invercem to open modular cement plant in April 2018
07 November 2017Peru: Invercem plans to build a cement grinding plant in Ica for US$20m. The modular plant will have a production capacity of 0.25Mt/yr, according to the Gestión newspaper. Construction is scheduled to start from December 2017 with completion planned for April 2018.
Previously, Invercem has imported cement from HeidelbergCement via the port of Salaverry. It then bagged and sold it locally under the Qhuna brand. As well as building its own plant the cement importer is also considering expansion plans in Ayacucho, Cusco and Iquitos.
Philippines: Manufacturers have called for the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to increase the number of testing facilities to process imports of cement and steel.
Jesus L Arranza, chairman of the Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI), and Roberto Cola, president of the Philippine Iron and Steel Institute, made their plea as the DTI Consumer and Welfare Protection Group is set to release the revised department administrative orders (DAO) on the inspection and monitoring of standards of imported steel and cement, according to the Manila Bulletin newspaper. Cola said that testing of products under mandatory standards, including steel and cement, is only conducted by the Metals Industry Research Development Center of the Department of Science and Technology. Both industry representatives have called for the DTI to accredit more testing agencies.
The proposed revised DAO is seeking to implement a pre-shipment certification system, in which cement and steel products have to be certified that they met the safety and quality standards at the port of entry. The shipment will also undergo post-shipment inspection upon arrival.
Ghana: George Dawson-Ahmoah, the chairman of the Cement Manufacturers Association of Ghana (CMAG), says that Nigeria is dumping cement in his country. He cited instances of imports of bagged cement from Nigeria, under the guise of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS), as disturbing pricing in the market, in an interview with the Business and Financial Times newspaper. Although Dawson-Ahmoah defended the ECOWAS scheme he raised issues such as evidence of dumping and export subsidies as being a threat to local cement producers.
Speaking at an annual industry association meeting he alleged that cement imports from Nigeria are being sold in the country for less than its value in the originating country in violation of World Trade Organisation rules. He also criticised the local Export Expansion Grant subsidy.
Siam Cement Group signs US coal import deal
05 October 2017Thailand: Siam Cement Group (SCG) has signed a deal to import 155,000t of coal from the US for its cement plants in Thailand and elsewhere in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Kalin Sarasin, a senior SCG executive and chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade, made the announcement following an official visit to the US by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, according to the Nation newspaper.
SCG will buy 100,000t of US coal in the first contract and a second contract will be for 55,000t to test the quality. Subsequently, the cement producer may buy more coal. At present, SCG imports around 6Mt/yr coal from Indonesia and Australia. The US coal will be used to substitute some of the Indonesian supply, which has been imported due to a higher demand for coal for power stations.
Cement importer says Philippines faces shortages to 2020
25 September 2017Philippines: A gap between local production and demand is expected to lead to a deficit in cement for the next three to four years to 2020. Napoleon Co, president and owner of cement importer Cebu Oversea Hardware, told the Manila Bulletin newspaper that imports from China and other countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should be able to address the shortfall until new production capacity is built. Co added that the country imported 6Mt of cement in 2016 mainly from China and Vietnam. Similar or higher volumes of imports are expected in 2017.
Cement importers have been lobbying the Department of Trade and Industry to allow pre-shipment inspection and certification of cement. However, local cement producers have opposed the change.
Hydroelectric projects in Nepal becalmed by cement shortage
25 September 2017Nepal: The Nepal Electricity Authority and the Independent Power Producers' Association Nepal say that the new hydroelectric projects are stalling due to a lack of imported cement. The shortage has been caused by new standards set by the Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology (NBSM) for imported cement, according to the Himalayan Times. The NBSM made Nepal Standard certification mandatory for imported cement in July 2017. Foreign producers supplying cement to Nepal, principally from India, have to follow quality, packaging and labelling criteria fixed by the NBSM.
Jaypee Cement and Star Cement have received approval from the NBSM to supply cement to the country following the new standard. Three more Indian cement producers have also submitted applications.
Algeria to stop cement imports in 2018
20 September 2017Algeria: Mohamed Benmeradi, the minister of commerce, says that Algeria will stop importing cement in 2018. He stated on national radio that the country is producing enough cement and is now considering exports, according to the Liberté Algerie newspaper. The government is amending the import licence system to encourage local growth.
Philippine Cement Importers Association backs pre-shipment inspection
04 September 2017Philippines: The Philippine Cement Importers Association (PCIA) has offered its support for government plans for the pre-shipment testing of imported cement. It has also backed the Bureau of Philippine Standards’ (BPS) new department administrative order that requires mandatory certification of cement products, according to the Philippine Star newspaper. PCIA executive director Dani Enriquez said the draft administrative order was consistent with ISO standards and with the Key Principles and Obligations of the International Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade administered by the World Trade Organization.
However, chief executives from cement producers including Eagle Cement, Taiheiyo Cement Philippines, Republic Cement, Cemex Philippines and Mabuhay Filcement, have opposed the proposed change in government import regulations. Some of the producers have favoured testing of imports upon arrival in the country instead.
Philippines: Chief executives from Eagle Cement, Taiheiyo Cement Philippines, Republic Cement, Cemex Philippines and Mabuhay Filcement have opposed government plans for a minimum requirement of pre-shipment inspection for cement imports. Instead they have called for a rigorous testing procedure for all cement coming from abroad to ensure consumer safety, according to the Philippine Star newspaper. In a letter Paul Ang, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Eagle Cement asked the government to draw up revised rules and guidelines on the issue for the cement industry. He also requested that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and other agencies combat technical smuggling of cement.
In separate letters to the DTI, Taiheiyo Cement Philippines president and CEO Satoshi Asabi, Mabuhay Filcement CEO Enrison Benedicto, incoming Republic Cement president Nabil Francis and Cemex Philippines president Ignacio Mijares also argued against pre-shipment inspection in favour of testing imports upon arrival in the country.