Vietnam: The government has reduced cement clinker export tax from 10% to 5%, effective from 19 May 2025 to the end of 2026. The 10% rate will be reinstated on 1 January 2027.

The Ministry of Finance said the temporary measure is an effort to help local manufacturers adjust production and reduce their inventory amid falling demand. Only 77% of Vietnam’s 122Mt/yr cement capacity is currently in use, with 34 out of 92 lines suspending operations in 2024. Cement and clinker exports fell by 5% to 29.7Mt in 2024, with revenues down by 14% year-on-year to US$1.14bn. Clinker exports alone were valued at US$301m.

Pakistan: Power Cement will build a 7.5MW wind power plant using Goldwind turbines under a rental model, with commissioning targeted in the 2026 financial year.

The new facility will supply 11% of the producer’s energy demand. Power Cement currently sources 34% and 6% of its energy needs from waste heat recovery and solar, respectively. The company has a total cement production capacity of of 3.37Mt/yr.

Cambodia: Prime minister Hun Manet inaugurated a new US$250m cement plant in western Cambodia on 20 May 2025. The 2.2Mt/yr facility was jointly funded by Chinese and Cambodian stakeholders and has been built on 407 hectares of land in the Aural district.

According to the prime minister, the new plant is the sixth in the country, bringing the total cement production capacity to about 11Mt/yr. He said “These cement plants have transformed Cambodia from a country that imported 100% of cement from overseas into a country that is capable of supplying its domestic demand entirely on its own.”

He added that Cambodia exported over 30,000t of cement to Thailand in 2024. Cambodia has an estimated domestic demand of 10Mt/yr of cement to supply its growing construction sector.

Türkiye: Titan Cement has finalised the sale of its 75% share in Adocim following regulatory approvals. The group will continue to operate cement grinding and supplementary cementitious assets elsewhere in Türkiye. Titan Cement says that the divestment forms part of its broader strategy to strengthen its portfolio.

UK: Medcem, a subsidiary of Turkish conglomerate Eren Holding, and UK-based Peel Ports Group will begin construction of a new deep-water cement terminal at the former P&O site at Gladstone Dock, Liverpool. Construction is scheduled to start at the end of May 2025, according to Construction Management magazine.

The €41m project’s first phase will include four silos with a combined capacity of 45,000t for cement and supplementary cementitious materials. The 2.3-hectare site allows for future expansion and increased capacity in subsequent phases. Completion is expected by mid-2026.

Medcem business development and investments director Enver Celikbas said “This new terminal significantly strengthens our presence in the UK market, consolidating our position as the leading provider of low-carbon cement and cementitious materials in Europe. The logistical advantages of Liverpool allow us to enhance our ability to accommodate large vessels and product handling.”

Peru: National cement shipments in April 2025 fell by 1% year-on-year to 958,000t, matching the cumulative figure for the past 12 months. Cement production dropped by 2% year-on-year to 855,000t, while clinker production also declined by 2% year-on-year to 786,000t. Clinker output was down by 9% between April 2024 and April 2025.

Cement exports rose by 4% year-on-year to 9400t in April 2025 and by 3% over the 12-month period. Clinker exports dropped by 1% year-on-year to 35,800t in April 2025 and by 28% from April 2024 to April 2025. Cement imports increased by 2% year-on-year to 54,000t in April 2025 and by 73% over the 12-month period. Clinker imports fell by 21% year-on-year to 70,000t in April 2025 but rose by 21% on a 12-month basis.

Pakistan: Cherat Cement has submitted a proposal to Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP) to use municipal solid waste from the city as refuse derived fuel (RDF) under a public-private partnership. The company said that approximately 500t/day of waste is collected from Peshawar and currently dumped at a 1.6Mt capacity landfill. The initiative would replace coal in cement production and generate revenue for WSSP while tackling the issue of solid waste management.

Ghana: CBI Ghana and joint venture partner Heidelberg Materials have commissioned the ‘world’s largest’ calcined clay plant in Ghana, according to an announcement by the German producer. The plant has a capacity of 400,000t/yr of calcined clay and uses local raw materials to reduce reliance on imported clinker.

Hakan Gurdal, member of the managing board of Heidelberg Materials, said “Based on calcined clay technology, we can now extend our offering of innovative, high-quality cement products, while reducing CO₂ emissions and utilising the rich local resources. The project has created over 300 local jobs."

South Korea: Domestic cement consumption fell by 22% year-on-year to 8.12Mt in the first quarter of 2025, the lowest figure for first-quarter sales in five years, according to Chosun Biz news. This marks a 32% (3.9Mt) drop from the 2023 peak of 12Mt. A domestic decline of more than 20% in the first quarter has not been seen since the 1998 financial crisis. At that time, first-quarter domestic sales decreased by 23% to 8.9Mt.

Cement companies have seen a corresponding decline in revenue. Hanil Cement’s operating profit dropped by 75% year-on-year to US$9m, Asia Cement’s fell by 70% year-on-year to US$2.4m and SAMPYO Cement’s declined by 90% to US$1.15m. Ssangyong C&E and Sungshin Cement both reported operating losses of US$19m and US$4.4m respectively.

A Cement Association representative said "For the time being, the decrease in domestic cement consumption is likely to continue, and management performance will further deteriorate. Unless a groundbreaking measure to overcome the construction market slump emerges, the forecast of 40Mt of domestic cement consumption in 2025 seems doubtful."

Nigeria: BUA CEO Abdul Samad Rabiu said that the company has agreed with Dangote Group to freeze the price of cement for retailers involved in President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda projects.

“We have decided that we are going to freeze the price of cement for any contractor that is involved with the Renewed Hope project.” Rabiu said. He added “There will be no increase for the foreseeable future.”

The Premium Times newspaper reported that it was not able to obtain a confirmation from Dangote Group about the price freeze.