Canada: MV Tamarack arrived at the Port of Montreal on 22 August 2025, completing its maiden voyage and becoming the first newly built cement carrier to serve the Great Lakes in 20 years. The 12,500t vessel, owned by Eureka Shipping, a joint venture between CSL and SMT Shipping, was delivered on 23 July 2025 at Holland Shipyard in the Netherlands. The ship replaces two older vessels, offering the same capacity and reduced environmental impact, according to the company. MV Tamarack has a 10,700m³ cement hold, diesel-electric propulsion, shore-power compatibility, biofuel capability and energy-saving cargo systems.

Brazil: Cia. de Cimento Itambé has inaugurated a new kiln at its Balsa Nova plant in the Curitiba metropolitan region following a US$91.8m investment, according to the Curitiba government. Mayor Eduardo Pimentel and other members of the government were in attendance. The project reportedly increases clinker production capacity by 120% and adds 600,000t/yr of cement capacity, raising the plant’s total to 3Mt/yr.

The kiln will replace up to 50% of fossil fuels with renewable energy sources like biomass and industrial waste.

US: Shipments of Portland and blended cement, including imports, fell by 7.5% year-on-year to 8.91Mt in May 2025, according to the latest figures from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Shipments for January to May 2025 totalled 37.9Mt, down by 6% from the same period in 2024. Texas, Missouri, California, Florida and Michigan accounted for 39% of production, while Texas, California, Florida, Ohio and Illinois received 40% of shipments.

Clinker production was 6.38Mt in May 2025 , compared with 6.46Mt in May 2024. For January to May 2025, clinker output dropped by 10% to 24.5Mt. Imports for the period declined by 5% year-on-year to 9.81Mt.

Colombia: Argos simultaneously loaded three cement ships for the first time at its Cartagena maritime terminal, moving over 31,000t of bulk cement. Platform 1 shipped 7000t to the Antilles and 3000t to the Caribbean, while Platform 2 loaded 21,000t for the US.

By the end of July 2025, Argos had shipped 570,000t of bulk cement on 44 vessels and 50,000t of bagged cement on 15 vessels.

Vice president of Argos Regional Colombia Carlos Horacio Yusty said “This milestone demonstrates the strength of our logistics network and the capacity of the terminal in Cartagena to respond to international markets. Having loaded three ships simultaneously sets a precedent in our operation and encourages us to continue growing in competitiveness.”

The Cartagena terminal has an installed capacity to handle 3.5Mt/yr of cement, clinker and raw materials.

Zimbabwe: China-based Shuntai Holdings is reportedly in a legal battle with Bryden Country School in Chegutu over the construction of a cement plant 497m from its boundary, according to local press.

The Board of Governors said that the company disclosed its plans in February 2025 to objections from the school and parents, with construction still continuing despite a High Court order halting construction. The Board said that there was no supporting documentation for the company to operate, as the area is zoned for education and also hosts a secondary school and university. Bryden said that it lodged multiple objections against Shuntai’s environmental and social impact assessment, which it claims failed to address key health and safety issues, yet the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) granted approval in April 2025. The school has since reportedly taken legal action against the regulator. A High Court judge ruled in July 2025 that Shuntai Holdings was in contempt of the stop-work order, but construction reportedly continues.

In July 2025, Shuntai administration manager Yan Bo confirmed the company has invested US$70m in the project, which is expected to produce 0.8Mt/yr of cement starting in 2026.

Zimbabwe: The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has ordered WIH-Zim Cement, a joint venture between West International Holding and Labenmon Investments, to stop construction of its Magunje cement plant after inspectors found violations of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) conditions, including failure to compensate displaced households, according to Bulawayo 24 News. The EMA fined the company US$5000 and issued an enforcement order halting all activity until ‘EIA certificate conditions are adhered to.’

An inspection on 16 July 2025 revealed that construction continued despite High Court directives and community complaints. At least 20 households have reportedly lost farmland to a diversion road, while one homestead lies within the project boundary. Inspectors reported that WIH-Zim had already cleared 10 hectares of land and begun building staff quarters for 600 workers without meeting relocation requirements. The EMA also reportedly found that the company had failed to obtain a Communal Lands Occupation Certificate from Hurungwe Rural District Council. The EMA said “Continuous monitoring of the project is essential as this is a sensitive high-impact project,” warning that construction cannot resume until all affected families are compensated and relocated.

Local press reported in May 2025 that the cement plant was ‘progressing well,’ with the completion of site levelling and connection to the national power grid established and 60 local people already employed.

China: Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that cement production in July 2025 reached 146Mt, down by 6% year-on-year and the lowest July level since 2009, according to Bloomberg. Output from January to July 2025 was 958Mt, representing a 4.5% year-on-year decline. The drop was attributed to the ongoing real estate crisis, weak infrastructure activity, and weather disruptions from heatwaves and storms. Bloomberg said that further declines are likely as producers shrink capacity to better align with demand.

Iran: Domestic cement demand fell by 8% year-on-year to 4.69Mt in July 2025, according to the Iran Cement Association. Cement output dropped by 11% year-on-year to 4.71Mt, while clinker production rose by 23% year-on-year to 6.31Mt. Cement exports grew by 1.4% during the period to 0.5Mt, but clinker exports declined by 11% to 0.5Mt.

In the first seven months of 2025, cement consumption fell by 7.3% to 34.6Mt from 37.3Mt in 2024. Cement output declined by 3.7% year-on-year to 37.8Mt, while clinker production was stable at 43.0Mt. Cement exports rose by 4.6% year-on-year to 3.37Mt, but clinker exports dropped by 21% to 3.53Mt from 4.45Mt.

The association attributed the fall in demand to a sluggish real estate market and difficult economic conditions. The government’s limits on cement production to address power shortages has also impacted production levels.

India: UltraTech Cement will offload a 6.49% stake in India Cements through an open market sale, following approval by its committee of directors and officers. The producer acquired control of India Cements in July 2024. The company did not disclose the value of the planned sale.

India: Adani Group has appointed Gagandeep Singh Khehra as its Deputy General Manager Production. Singh Khehra was formerly Head of Production at Adani Group subsidiary ACC. He joined predecessor company Holcim India from Binani Cement in 2010.

Singh Khehra holds a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from Punjab Technical University in Jalandhar, Punjab.