Displaying items by tag: Production
Czech cement production rises 4.1% in 2016
31 August 2017Czechia: Cement production in Czechia grew by 4.1% year-on-year to 3.94Mt in 2016 as consumption rose by 3.9% from 3.82Mt, according to data from the Association of Cement Producers. The production figure was 17% lower than the country’s record of 4.77Mt that it made in 2007.
Speaking to the Czech News Agency the association's secretary, Jan Gemrich, said, "In 2016, one of the dominant areas was the extension of the transport network, chiefly the reconstruction of the D1 motorway, which is to last until about 2020. Another important area, though stagnating at present, is new housing construction for young families." For 2017 Gemrich expects cement consumption to record annual growth of around 3%.
Cement exports increased by 8.5% year-on-year to 585,000t, accounting for about 15% of national output. Imports grew by 7.7% to 463,000t.
Saudi Arabia: Clinker production fell by 10.9% year-on-year to 29.3Mt in the first seven months of 2017. The Saudi Economic Review by the National Commercial Bank has attributed the slowdown in production to weak domestic demand, which fell by 9.8% in 2016, and ‘record high’ clinker inventory levels of 32.5Mt in July 2017, according to the Saudi Gazette newspaper. The local cement industry has also suffered from rising input costs due to higher energy and fuel prices following government policy changes.
Brazilian cement sales drop another 10% in July
15 August 2017Brazil: According to data from SNIC, Brazil's national cement industry association, domestic cement sales came to 4.7Mt in July 2017, down by 10.5% compared to July 2016. Sales per working day were also down by 10.5% in the year-on-year comparison, but up by 3.3% compared to June 2017.
In the first seven months of 2017, domestic cement sales came to 30.7Mt, a fall of 9.1% from the same period of 2016, while in the 12 months ending July 2017 sales totalled 54.3Mt, down by 9.8% year-on-year. Apparent consumption in July 2017 stood at 4.7Mt, down by 10.1% from July 2016, with an accumulated 9.7% drop in apparent consumption in the 12 months to 31 July 2017. SNIC notes that the figures are in line with expectations for the period, though there may have been some impact from the political and economic instability in recent months. SNIC forecasts a 7% drop in domestic cement sales in 2017.
Yguazu takes up slack during INC outage
07 August 2017Paraguay: Yguazu saw record sales of 1.1 million bags of cement in July 2017, according to Ernesto Acosta, the firm's industrial manager, largely because of supply issues that affected state-run cement firm INC. Yguazu reported that it ‘even had to open on Sundays.’ Normally, Yguazu’s sales stand at 0.9 -1.0 million bags per month. INC has now resolved its issues.
Ukrainian cement production rises marginally
25 July 2017Ukraine: Cement production in Ukraine rose by 2.6% to 0.96Mt in June 2017 compared to sales in May 2017, according to data from the State Statistics Service. In the first six months of 2017 production of cement rose by 1.3% year-on-year to 4.23Mt. In 2016 production rose by 7.1% compared to 2015 to 9.1Mt. However, with a total capacity of 20Mt/yr, this implies a capacity utilisation factor of just 46%.
Vietnam proposes reduction in cement export tax
24 July 2017Vietnam: The Vietnam Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) has proposed a reduction in its cement export tax to help ease the oversupply in the domestic market. In a recent report to the government, the MPI said that Vietnamese cement firms are seeking ways to deal with their large inventory.
Under existing regulations cement is subject to an export tax of 5% and does not receive value added tax (VAT) refunds, meaning Vietnamese cement products have become less competitive than those of China, Thailand, Indonesia and Japan. In response, the MPI has asked the government to slash the cement export tax and allow firms to benefit from VAT refunds for cement exports.
The General Department of Customs’ statistics showed that, in 2016, Vietnam exported 14.7Mt of cement and clinker with a total value of US$560m. At present, cement supply in the Vietnamese market is around 20% higher than demand.
The Vietnam Cement Association has forecast that the country’s total cement output might reach 108Mt in 2018 and 120-130Mt in 2020, leading to an unsold inventory of 36-47Mt.
Russia: Sibirsky Cement’s cement production fell by 11% year-on-year to 1.4Mt in the first half of 2017. Particular declines were registered at its Topkinsky Cement and Timlyuysky Cement plants. The cement producer has blamed falling production on the poor economic situation in the region. Cement consumption in the Siberian federal district fell by 10% to 1.9Mt in the five months to 31 May 2017. The majority of this cement is used for residential construction.
Qatar: Mohamed Ali al-Sulaity, the general manager of the Qatar National Cement Company, says that a blockade of the country by neighbouring states has not effected its cement production. Al-Sulaity said that the cement producer has secured supplies of raw materials and is importing gypsum and iron oxide from Oman, according to the Al Sharq newspaper. He added that bags are being imported from Kuwait.
The company says that it has a surplus of cement production and is able to meet the country’s demand. It plans to operate its 5000t/day kiln number 5 in September 2017 that will increase its clinker production capacity to 19,000t/day and its cement capacity to 21,000t/day.
Several Middle Eastern countries – including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt – cut diplomatic links and implemented trade and travel embargos with Qatar in June 2017 over alleged links to terrorist groups and links to Iran.
Pacific Cement resumes production in Fiji
06 July 2017Fiji: Pacific Cement has resumed operations at its cement plant. The plant originally stopped operation in late April 2017 due to mechanical failures, according to the Fiji Times newspaper. Chief executive Sowani Tuidrola said that the plant will run at 60% capacity until the end of July 2017 whilst it waits for a new gear. A new Trunnion Gear Assembly is scheduled to arrive in late July 2017 and it will be fitted during a two-week shutdown in late August 2017. Normal production levels are expected to resume from 1 September 2017.
Cement production picks up in Panama
05 July 2017Panama: Data from the Treasury Inspector's Office in Panama reports that cement production rose by 7.5% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2017. The construction sector as a whole grew by 6.6% due to residential and non-residential projects, according to the La Estrella de Panama newspaper. However, infrastructure work decreased at the same time.