Global Cement Newsletter

Issue: GCW741 / 07 January 2026

Headlines


The new year came to a lively start with the capture of Nicolás Maduro, the president of Venezuela, by the US military on 3 January 2026. This is a column on the cement industry not geopolitics. Yet, the latter influences the former. There are implications here for the building materials sector that are worth discussing. Particularly regarding how states take over cement plants and what happens afterwards.

On Venezuela the first issue is what happens to the cement plants that were nationalised by the government in the late 2000s. The Chávez regime confiscated the Cemento Andino cement plant in 2006 from its owners, Colombia-based Cementos Argos. The government then formally expropriated the cement industry in 2008, taking control of plants run by Cemex, Holcim and Lafarge. Compensation was promised but this entered arbitration. Cemex, the owner of the largest number of plants, eventually reached an agreement in late 2011. The Venezuelan government paid US$600m in compensation and cancelled US$154m-worth of accounts payable from Cemex group subsidiaries to Cemex Venezuela. Subsequently, Cemex and Venezuela agreed to withdraw from the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) arbitration process. Lafarge and Holcim reached deals in 2010. However, Holcim didn’t receive the final part of its compensation until 2014.

These agreements seem fairly clear-cut. Cement plants were taken, but the previous owners were eventually paid. However, this process started under duress. Two of the multinationals concerned, Cemex and Holcim, run major cement companies in the US. Nevertheless, these companies may benefit, should the US Trump administration decide it wants to change other parts of Venezuelan government policy in addition to the oil business. They may also want to lobby the current US government to take action in this direction. And, of course, the cement plants may re-enter the market if they are re-privatised. Subsequently, they may become available for merger and acquisition activity.

Cemex has form in this area as it also had similar problems in Cuba. It originally owned a cement plant in the country before it too was nationalised by the Castro regime. The Mexico-based company eventually let go of its formal interest in the business in the mid-1990s when the US introduced the so-called Helms-Burton Act, which targeted property confiscated by the Cuban government that had formally been owned by US citizens. The company told the US State Department at the time that it would "end its involvement with a confiscated American property in Cuba." Prior to this Cemex had formed a joint-venture with Unión de Empresas de Cemento in the early 1990s to create a company called Empresa Mixta Cementos Curazao (EMCC), which took control of the Mariel cement plant near to Havana. A decade later when relations between the US and Cuba thawed somewhat, Cemex’s CEO at the time, Fernando Gonzalez said that his company was still interested in returning to the country. Understandably though he expressed caution about this.

The point here is that Cuba, like Venezuela, is another left-leaning country in Latin America with a poor relationship with the US. Should the US government decide to take stronger foreign policy action here than it has previously there might well be implications for companies that historically used to own companies in Cuba.

Another relatively recent sector nationalisation in the region took place in 2010 in Bolivia. Here, the government took over a stake in Sociedad Boliviana de Cemento (SOBOCE) subsidiary Fábrica Nacional de Cementos (FANCESA) by supreme decree in 2010. SOBOCE and its shareholders subsequently fought for compensation. This one has been further confused by allegations of impropriety regarding how one of the private owners of SOBOCE originally obtained its share in the first place. Further controversy and disagreement followed when another shareholder, Mexico’s GCC, sold its share to Peru’s Grupo Gloria. Grupo Gloria filed an arbitration claim for US$260m against the Bolivian government in 2022.

Cement is an important commodity. Both it and the industry that manufactures it will always be of interest to governments in one way or another. Some of them may be tempted to take control of cement plants for strategic, economic, political, ideological or other reasons from time to time. And some of them may even do it! Disagreement, legal action and arbitration generally follow. In theory once an arbitration process finishes that should be the end of it. Yet interested parties may decide otherwise as the facts on the ground change. Corporate lawyers are likely to be watching the situation in Venezuela closely.


Sri Lanka: Siam City Cement (Lanka) (INSEE Lanka) has appointed Thusith C Gunawarnasuriya as its CEO. He succeeds Nandana Ekanayake, who will continue to work as the company’s chair, according to the Daily Mirror newspaper.

Gunawarnasuriya most recently worked as INSEE Lanka’s Chief Operating Officer in 2025. Earlier, he was the company’s Director Procurement & Logistics from 2017 to 2021. He also held procurement roles for Holcim Lanka from 2004 to 2010. Away from the cement sector his career has included senior management roles at Lion Brewery (Ceylon), Hemas Manufacturing, Fonterra Brands Lanka, GlaxoSmithKline, MAS Active and DMS Software Engineering with work in India, Bangladesh and Thailand. Gunawarnasuriya holds an undergraduate degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Peradeniya, a master’s degree in Business and Organisational Psychology from Coventry University in the UK and a master’s of business administration (MBA) qualification from the University of Colombo.


Malaysia: Hume Cement Industries has appointed William Tan Kok Siang as its Group Managing Director.

Tan, aged 38 years, holds over 15 years’ experience in the cement sector. He started his career as a management trainee with Lafarge Malayan Cement. In 2012 he joined Hume Cement was appointed General Manager - Sales & Logistics in 2019. He later became the managing director of Hume Cement in 2023. Tan holds an undergraduate degree in material science from the National University of Malaysia.


US: Aumund Corporation has appointed Wes Allen as President Operations & Aftermarket.
Allen has worked for Aumund since 2007. He started as Director of After Sales and Service, North & Central America and later became Vice President of Operations - Americas in 2023. Earlier in his career he worked for WM. Allen is a graduate in business management from Southern New Hampshire University and holds a master’s in business administration (MBA) qualification from Western Governors University.


UAE: Riga has announced the completion of Cement Mill No.1 as part of a two-mill upgrade project for a client in Ras Al-Khaimah via a post on social media. The project scope included the dismantling of the old separator, baghouse, grid separator and all associated connection ducts, handling systems and discharge chutes. Installation and upgrade works included manufacture and installation of new base frames and platforms at multiple levels, as well as the new baghouse, dynamic separator, cyclone, pre-collector, mill vent fan and baghouse fan. Work on the second cement mill is currently ongoing.


Serbia: The government has adopted a six-month measure to limit imports of Portland cement and certain steel products in an effort to stabilise ‘strategically important’ industries. The regulation will be in force from 1 January to 30 June 2026, and introduces a tariff quota system to support domestic producers and balance market conditions. Under the new framework, imports of these goods will be allowed duty-free up to a certain quota. Once the quota is filled, any additional imports will be subject to a 50% customs duty. For cement, the total quota volume has been set at approximately 250,350t – the largest share of all five product categories.

Quota allocations are based on historical import shares from the past five years and are divided by country or customs territory, with the largest shares going to the EU, Türkiye, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and other regional partners. Quotas are further split into quarterly limits, with unused quota from the first quarter allowed to roll over into the next.

The Customs Administration will manage quota distribution on a first-come, first-served basis and will report monthly to the Ministry of Internal and Foreign Trade. The policy will be reviewed at the end of June 2026.


Portugal: Cimpor has now deployed private 5G networks at its Alhandra, Loulé and Souselas cement plants through a partnership with Vodafone Portugal and Ericsson. The move equips each site with reliable, low-latency connectivity designed to support connected systems such as IoT sensors and autonomous vehicles for improved efficiency and safety. The producer previously signed the 10-year extendable contract with Vodafone in October 2024.

The technology supports applications such as drone inspections, smart and VR glasses for remote assistance and training, sensors for predictive maintenance, video cameras for safety monitoring, real-time data management via worker tablets and AI functionalities. Cimpor expects to save up to US$1m/yr per plant by reducing unplanned failures and production interruptions. It said it has observed an approximate efficiency increase of around 1%, equivalent to US$10-15m in annual economic benefits.


France: Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies said that it achieved record production volumes of its low-carbon cement in 2025. The company produced 50,700t of its 0% clinker cement, representing a threefold increase from the 16,269t produced in 2024. The company has set its sights on doubling this output in 2026, targeting 100,000t. This increase will be driven by a growing customer base and access to new construction projects, supported by recent certifications obtained in France and internationally.


Peru: National cement shipments reached 1.17Mt in November 2025, an increase of 11% compared to November 2024 and 6% higher over the 12-month period, according to ASOCEM. Cement production reached 1.08Mt in November 2025, up by 13% year-on-year, while clinker output rose by 25% year-on-year to 0.77Mt. However, accumulated clinker production over the past 12 months was down by 2%.

Cement exports fell slightly to 12,700t, a 3% decrease compared to November 2024, but grew by 7% over the accumulated 12 months. In contrast, clinker exports increased by 52% to 109,200t in November 2025, bringing the 12-month increase to 29%. Cement imports dropped by 88% year-on-year to 8100t in November 2025, despite an 80% rise over the past 12 months. Clinker imports also fell by 40% year-on-year to 84,800t in November 2025, though they remain 38% higher in the yearly comparison. All clinker imports entered through the Port of Callao, sourced from South Korea (50%) and Ecuador (50%).


Martinique: The introduction of the EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism on imported materials has been ‘met with disapproval’ in the French West Indies, particularly within the construction sector, according to local press. From 1 January 2026, the measure applies to imports from outside the EU, targeting goods such as aluminum, steel and clinker.

Martinique has no clinker production capacity, and imported over 120,000t of the material in 2025.

Laurent Nesty, sales director of Ciments Antillais (part of the Lafarge Holcim group), said the tax will increase the price of concrete by 7-8%, and the price of cement by 11%. “It is completely impossible to absorb this increase, since the amount we will have to pay by 2034 will be greater than our turnover. Therefore, we have an obligation to pass on this amount," he said. Nesty added that there are currently no viable European or local alternatives to imported clinker, with imports coming from countries such as Mexico and Algeria.


India: Jindal Cement has announced plans to increase its production capacity fourfold to 10Mt/yr over the next two to three years, supported by an investment of approximately US$332m. The expansion will primarily boost output at the company’s existing plants in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh and Angul, Odisha, which currently have a combined capacity of 2.5Mt/yr. Of the total investment, around US$276m will be allocated to adding 4.5Mt/yr of new capacity — 3Mt/yr at Raigarh and 1.5Mt/yr at Angul.


Kyrgyzstan: Portland cement imports from China reached 28,700t between January and November 2025, marking a 480-fold increase compared to the same period in 2024, according to data from the General Customs Administration of China. The total value of the imported cement reached US$2.4m. Monthly imports exceeded 1000t starting in May 2025, which coincides with the launch of construction works for the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. The bulk of imports occurred during the summer months, accounting for 63% of the annual total.


Morocco: Cement deliveries totalled over 14.8Mt in 2025, marking an 8% increase compared to 2024, according to the Ministry of National Territorial Development. Of this total, over 8.02Mt were destined for distribution, according to the ministry. However, deliveries in December 2025 declined by 15% year-on-year to 1.1Mt, indicating a year-end slowdown, despite the overall growth trend throughout the year.


Tanzania: Mbeya Cement, a subsidiary of Amsons Group, has signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with Sinoma International (Nanjing) Engineering for the development of two new clinker production lines. The agreement was signed in December 2025, and covers the construction of one clinker line in the Mbeya Region and another in the Tanga Region. The project is part of Amsons Group’s long-term expansion strategy in Tanzania’s cement and building materials sector. The new lines are expected to boost domestic clinker capacity, reduce reliance on imports and improve supply to both local and regional markets.


Saudi Arabia: Southern Province Cement has reported steady progress on its new cement plant in Jazan, with most phases of the clinker production line already completed and trial operations under way. In a filing to the Saudi stock exchange Tadawul, the company confirmed that the first trial batch of clinker was produced on 29 December 2025. The project was awarded to Sinoma International Engineering in 2023, and includes a new 5000t/day clinker line and 10,000t/day cement grinding capacity, which will replace the existing production lines at the site. The company said it expects all construction phases to be completed soon, with commercial operations scheduled to begin later in 2026.


Iraq: The Delta Cement plant in Sulaymaniyah is ramping up local cement output following the commissioning of two clinker production lines built by Sinoma (Suzhou), which have capacities of 5300t/day and 6000t/day respectively. The second line was commissioned in July 2025. The plant is fully operated and maintained by Sinoma, and helps to reduce Iraq’s reliance on cement imports following years of conflict which has damaged local infrastructure.

Omar Hussein, deputy CEO of Delta Cement, said that the cement from the new lines is already supporting Iraq’s development goals and boosting its production capacity. The plant features a digital system developed by Sinoma to track equipment and respond quickly to any issues. Tang Jigang, maintenance manager, said "The platform not only helps reduce energy consumption and optimize production, but also ensures safe and stable operations through intelligent management.”

To address power shortages and unstable electricity supply, Sinoma also built a 15MW waste heat recovery system and a 50MW photovoltaic plant. The solar facility generates around 84 million kWh/yr, helping to cut about 60,000t/yr of CO₂ emissions.


Vietnam: The country’s cement industry reached a record high in 2025, with total sales of 112Mt driven by a domestic consumption of 75Mt and nearly 37Mt of exports, according to the Ministry of Construction. This marks a 16% year-on-year increase. Domestic consumption rose by 13% from 2024, supported by strong public investment and the acceleration of key infrastructure projects. The export market also rebounded, growing by 28% year-on-year and generating over US$1.36bn in revenue in 2025. The industry's total cement supply stood at 125Mt. By comparison, total cement sales were 90Mt in 2024, 87Mt in 2023, and 93.6Mt in 2022.

The resurgence comes after a period of subdued activity, during which domestic demand was between 57-63Mt/yr, and exports had fallen to just 29-31Mt. Rising electricity prices remain a major challenge, prompting manufacturers to adjust prices and upgrade their plants to sustain efficiency. On the export front, a reduction in the clinker export tax from 10% to 5%, effective May 2025 through the end of 2026, has bolstered competitiveness and helped cement producers reduce costs in global markets.


Pakistan: Kohat Cement has expanded its renewable energy capacity with the successful installation of an additional 2.32MW on-grid solar power system at its plant in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The company announced the development in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange on 1 January 2026. With this latest addition, the total installed solar power capacity at the site has reached 17.66MW.


US: An updated version of the Clean Competition Act (CCA) has been reintroduced to the 119th US Congress in December 2025. The legislation proposes levying a tax of US$60/t of CO2 equivalent emissions associated with selected carbon-intensive goods, according to the American Action Forum (AAF). This would then be increased by 6% each year along with a carbon border adjustment of import taxes and export rebates. It would cover goods including cement, oil, gas, coal, refining, petrochemicals, fertilisers, hydrogen, adipic acid, iron and steel, aluminium, glass, pulp and paper and ethanol. The CCA is not expected to become law in the short-term. However, the AAF reckons that it provides a, “a meaningful framework for a US legislative approach to encouraging decarbonization in the US and abroad.”


Saudi Arabia: Riyadh Cement has signed an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract with a value of around US$23m with China-based Chengdu Design and Research Institute. The agreement covers the construction of an electrical grid station to complete the electricity supply project for Riyadh Cement’s Nisah plant. The deal falls under the Liquid Fuel Displacement program. The project is intended to boost energy efficiency, cut emissions, and improve operational reliability.


India: Shree Cement has announced plans to invest US$223m in a new 2Mt/yr cement plant in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region, as part of its three-year strategy to boost overall cement capacity from 68Mt/yr to 80Mt/yr. Chair Hari Bangur said the proposed plant will be located in Kondala, Chandrapur district. A letter of intent was signed in the presence of Maharashtra’s Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis.

“Land is almost taken, terms of reference have come, now environmental clearance is awaited. After environmental clearance, it is a matter of two years before the whole plant is there,” said Bangur.

The company already operates a grinding unit in Pune. While Shree Cement has not disclosed other specific locations for future plants, Bangur said land acquisition is underway and ‘plans are in place.’ After achieving 80Mt/yr capacity by 2028, the company reportedly aims to expand further to 100Mt/yr. The new plant will be funded entirely through internal accruals. Bangur stated that Shree Cement has over US$557m in cash reserves and will not require external borrowing for the project.


Ivory Coast: The Association of Cement Producers of Cote d'Ivoire (APCCI) has called for stricter quality control in the cement industry. During an industry stakeholders panel discussion held in mid-December 2025 APCCI Vice President Ivan Zarka said that the association aims to guarantee the protection of consumers by ensuring the availability of compliant cement, according to the Agence Ivoirienne de Presse. He blamed building collapses in recent years on design flaws or poor quality concrete formulations. He lobbied for strict adherence to CODINORM (Côte d'Ivoire Normalisation) standards and improved monitoring of formulations.

Nagolo Soro, the Deputy Director General of the Abidjan Cement Company, said that the quality of cement produced in the country is ‘generally under control,’ while emphasising the need for continuous improvement of laboratory equipment. He also suggested strengthening the role of the LBTP (Laboratory of Building and Public Works) as the national reference laboratory.

The APCCI also encouraged further use of cement in applications such as concrete road construction. The country currently produces 21Mt/yr of cement but only uses an estimated 7Mt/yr.


Europe: The European Commission will expand the scope of the European Union’s (EU) Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to include industrial machinery at the start of 2028. The carbon tariff will add specific steel and aluminium-intensive downstream products. The majority, 94%, of these downstream goods concerned are industrial supply chain products with a high (on average 79%) steel and aluminium content, used in heavy machinery and specialised equipment, such as base metal mountings, cylinders, industrial radiators or machines for casting. A small share, 6%, of the downstream goods concerned are also household goods such as washing machines.

Importers of cement, aluminium, electricity, fertilisers, hydrogen and iron and steel will start to pay a tax based on the carbon emissions of these products from the beginning of 2026. The European Commission has also launched a Temporary Decarbonisation Fund in order to temporarily support EU producers of CBAM goods and mitigate carbon leakage risks.


India: The Cement Manufacturers' Association (CMA) has elected Parth Jindal as president. Raghavpat Singhania has been appointed as the vice president of the association.

Parth Jindal is the managing director of JSW Cement. He is the youngest elected president of the CMA in its 60-year history, at 35 years old. Jindal will be responsible for driving CMA's policy agenda with the policy makers, regulators and other stakeholders, with an emphasis on sustainable manufacturing practices, energy transition (decarbonisation) and logistics optimisation, to present the collective voice and priorities of the Cement Industry at CMA.

Raghavpat Singhania is the managing director of JK Cement with considerable experience in the grey and white cement sector. He is expected to further advance CMA's objectives by strengthening industry advocacy and engagement.

The CMA is the association of large cement manufacturers in India. It represents almost 70% of the installed cement capacity in the country.


Pakistan: Maple Leaf Cement has launched a public offer to buy shares representing up to 11.7% in Pioneer Cement. The action is intended to be part of a process that gives it control of the target company. Maple Leaf Cement currently has a combined shareholding of 18.53% in Pioneer Cement, via its direct shares, those of a subsidiary and through one of its directors. It is currently in the process of acquiring 69.75% of the shares in Pioneer Cement from a group of major shareholders, most notably including Vision Holdings Middle East. Once completed, the combined local market share of the two cement companies is expected to be 15.5%. It should become the third largest cement producer in the country.


Australia: Hallett Group has successfully tested a trial of cement despatch at its Port Adelaide Terminal. During a trial, trucks drove through the unit’s storage dome and tested cement despatch into internal cement silos. The cement terminal is intended to distribute cement from Hallett Group's Port Augusta slag cement grinding plant in the north of South Australia state.


Papua New Guinea: Pacific Lime and Cement (PLC) has agreed a strategic partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to provide advisory support for PLC’s Phase 2 Central Cement Project in Central Province, Papua New Guinea. The project will be PNG’s first vertically integrated clinker and cement production facility, aimed at substituting imports and meeting domestic demand. IFC’s participation brings technical expertise and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards to the project, aligning it with international best practices and helping to de-risk the path toward full financing and construction. As part of the advisory scope, IFC will assess the project’s existing Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) and recommend improvements to help PLC move toward compliance with IFC Performance Standards, a requirement for international finance.


US: Fortera says that its ReAct low-carbon cement product is the first to meet all six ASTM C1157 performance categories simultaneously. Previously, it says, this level of versatility typically required four separate Portland cement formulations. It added that, with one formulation covering all six categories, ReAct reduces procurement complexity and streamlines mix design, enabling contractors to use a single cement instead of multiple cementitious products for different parts of the same project. Independent testing by Construction Testing Services validated the product’s performance across the standard's eight test requirements.

Craig Hargis, Vice President of Products at Fortera, said “This certification confirms that ReAct performs to the industry's established standards.” He added, “For years, lower-carbon options have been seen as a compromise on either performance or cost. ReAct shows that contractors do not have to choose. It meets the strength and durability requirements they expect, avoids a green premium, and fits into the specifications and infrastructure already in use.”

ASTM C1157 is a performance-based standard that evaluates cement on measurable outcomes rather than on its chemical composition. The specification covers factors such as compressive strength, air content, set time, fineness, density, heat of hydration, mortar expansion, and sulphate expansion. ReAct has met the requirements for all six performance categories under the standard: general use, high early strength, moderate sulphate resistance, high sulphate resistance, moderate heat of hydration, and low heat of hydration.

Fortera operates a 15,000t/yr plant in Redding, California. The company uses a technology that captures CO₂ emissions from traditional cement production and converts them into a mineral form for low-carbon cement.


US: Ash Grove Cement and the Nebraska Department of Transportation have tested a  calcined clay blended cement product on a 4km stretch of road in the state. The product, Duracem N, was manufactured at the company’s Louisville Plant. It uses clay sourced locally in the region. The Louisville Plant was reportedly upgraded recently to convert a clinker kiln into a clay calciner. Improvements were also made to the milling process.

Full-scale production of Duracem N will begin early in 2026, with customer deliveries expected in mid-2026. The product has been approved for use by the Nebraska Department of Transportation, with further approvals forthcoming.


UAE: Holcim UAE has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Fakhruddin Properties to jointly advance sustainable construction across the region. The agreement is the first MoU that Holcim has signed with a locally-headquartered building developer. Fakhruddin Properties intends to use sustainable building products to “…reduce both embodied and operational carbon, promote circular economy principles and scale practical sustainability solutions with full transparency.”

Fakhruddin Properties says it pioneered the country’s first in-building waste management system, diverting 90% of waste from landfills and is committed to delivering a ‘wellness-optimised lifestyle’ across its portfolio through the implementation of smart home and air purification technology and other energy-efficient initiatives.


India: Wonder Cement has ordered roller mills from Germany-based Gebr. Pfeiffer for use at the cement producer’s new plant in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

An MVR 6000 R-6 mill will be used for raw meal. It will reportedly be one of the largest raw mills in the country. It will have a mill drive power of 6725kW and a capacity of 1000t/hr. It will include an integrated SLS 6000 VR high-performance classifier to meet a product fineness of 2% residue on a 212µm screen.

A MPS 3550 BK vertical roller mill will be used for coal grinding. It will be equipped with a mill drive of 1840kW and a capacity of 65t/hr petcoke or 100t/hr coal.

The project is being carried out in close cooperation between Gebr. Pfeiffer’s subsidiary in India and the company in Germany. The order will include Gebr. Pfeiffer’s 15th mill for Wonder Cement. Installation of the new mills is planned by the end of 2026.


India: The state government of Andhra Pradesh has issued show-cause notices to two limestone mining leases held by Bharathi Cement due to alleged irregularities in the allocation process. The Hans News newspaper reports that the current state administration has been looking at leases granted during the previous Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) government. S Bharathi, the wife of YSRCP president and former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, is reportedly a director of Bharathi Cement. The previous state government granted two limestone leases to Bharathi Cement via application route in February 2024, despite the law requiring mineral lease to be allocated by electronic auction. It also preceded a change in an ethics code. The cement company has been asked to submit an explanation by late December 2025.


Portugal: Molins has signed an agreement with Portuguese investment group Semapa to acquire 100% of cement producer Secil for €1.4bn. Molins said that the deal reinforces its presence in Europe and ‘completes its geographic expansion’ in Latin America by entering Brazil, the only major market in the region where it was not yet present. Secil operates in eight countries with a cement production capacity of approximately 10Mt/yr. Its operations span cement, concrete, aggregates, construction solutions and circular economy initiatives. The company employs more than 2900 people and recorded €740m in sales over the past 12 months.


Kenya: President William Ruto has ruled out repealing a levy on importing clinker. This contradicts a previous statement preparing to relax the tax made by a trade minister on the matter, according to the Business Daily newspaper. Ruto noted that his country has enough limestone and other raw materials to produce cement locally.

Ruto made the comments at a signing ceremony between Bamburi Cement and Sinoma CBMI to build a new 1.6Mt/yr clinker grinding plant in Matuga, Kwale County. In October 2025, Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui said the government would petition the Kenyan Parliament to repeal the 17.5% export and investment promotion levy on clinker and steel, noting that it had had unintended effects on companies in these sectors.


Malaysia: Cahya Mata Sarawak has broken ground on its US$165m Mambong Clinker Line 2 project, an investment aimed at expanding cement production capacity to meet Sarawak’s growing infrastructure and industrial demand. The new line will increase clinker output from 0.9Mt/yr to 1.9Mt/yr and is scheduled to begin operations in mid-2027.

Group managing director Datuk Seri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib said the project will ensure a stable supply of high-quality cement to support Sarawak’s long-term development. “This project not only strengthens our production capabilities, but more importantly guarantees a reliable supply of quality cement to support Sarawak’s fast-growing infrastructure and economy,” he said.

The plant will incorporate a waste heat recovery system capable of generating about 6MW of ‘electrical’ energy and will feature dust filtration systems to reduce emissions. Sarawak Premier Abang Johari said the expansion reduces reliance on imports.


Puerto Rico: Cement production and sales continued to rise in November 2025, driven by sustained construction activity and job growth, according to the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC). Puerto Rico produced 731,000 42.5kg bags of cement during November 2025, marking a 45% year-on-year increase or 228,000 more bags than in November 2024. Total sales of bagged and bulk cement reached nearly 1.2 million units, an 11% increase compared to the same month in 2024.

“These results reflect continued growth in construction activity in Puerto Rico,” said the DDEC, attributing the momentum to both public and private projects. Governor Jenniffer González said the figures showed a broader economic recovery. “The increase in cement production and sales, along with job growth in the construction sector, are clear signs that Puerto Rico continues to move forward with a strong and active economy. Our administration will continue to promote strategic projects that foster investment, infrastructure and quality jobs for our people.”


India: Shree Cement has declared a lockout at its cement manufacturing facility in Baloda Bazar in the Raipur district of Chhattisgarh, with effect from 18 December 2025, citing ‘non-cooperation from workmen.’ In a stock exchange filing, the company said that management took the decision following disruptions to plant operations caused by the ongoing labour situation, and that it is ‘monitoring the matter.’ The lockout is expected to result in a production loss of around 10,000t/day of cement. Shree Cement said that the financial impact is still being assessed and that it is working to determine the total losses caused by the shutdown. All assets at the facility are insured, but the company did not specify a timeline for resolving the labour issue or for resuming operations.

The Baloda Bazar plant is one of Shree Cement's operational units in central India. The company has not confirmed whether supply commitments or despatches from other plants will be affected.


Pakistan: Fecto Cement has resumed full operations at its Sangjani cement plant in Islamabad following a ruling by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that deemed the previous suspension of activities ‘illegal and without lawful authority.’ The company confirmed the development in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange, stating that full plant operations had resumed, and that production has recommenced as normal. Fecto Cement said that the suspension ‘had no material adverse effect’ on its long-term financial position or operations.


Brazil: Cimento Nacional, part of Buzzi, has selected Fuller Technologies to supply a second ball mill and separator system for its Pitimibu plant, replicating the equipment successfully installed in 2013. The original setup was a UMS 5.0 x 17 ball mill combined with an O-SEPA® N4500 separator, which has operated reliably for over a decade, according to the company. The company has now ordered an updated version of the system. The new package includes a next-generation O-SEPA® separator with a fine drive for increased rotation speed and high-Blaine cement output, and a high-efficiency air seal designed to reduce coarse bypass and improve final cement quality.


UK: First Graphene has announced the successful large-scale production of around 600t of graphene-enhanced cement at Breedon’s Hope Cement Works in Derbyshire ahead of new trial projects rolling out across the UK. The batch contains 3t of First Graphene’s PureGRAPH-CEM® additive, and was produced in a single day. The product is now in storage ahead of despatch for use in three concrete projects across the UK. The University of Manchester will conduct compressive strength testing and analysis of the concrete’s performance.  The additive is introduced during the final milling stage, and is designed to reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 16% by lowering the clinker content in the cement.

The first trial involves using 30-40t of the graphene-enhanced cement to produce thousands of roof tiles at FP McCann’s Cadeby plant in Leicestershire. The five-month study is part of an Innovate UK-funded initiative aiming to improve resource efficiency and reduce construction waste in response to the UK government’s housing targets. First Graphene has also reportedly received further interest from organisations in both the UK and Australia for testing the material in various applications.

First Graphene CEO Michael Bell said “Adding graphene into cement has proven to deliver performance benefits for a wide range of applications, and multiple end uses of this cement batch reinforces PureGRAPH®'s versatility. We look forward to working closely with our strategic commercial partner Breedon, Morgan Sindall, FP McCann and the University of Manchester as application trials roll out over the coming months."


US: A new finish mill has officially been commissioned at the Durkee cement plant. The facility held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the occasion. The upgrade will increase the plant’s cement production capacity by 210,000t/yr without increasing clinker production or associated CO₂ emissions. The company said the new finish mill enhances its ability to deliver consistent, high-performance cement.


US: Furno Materials has signed an agreement with ready-mix concrete producer Maschmeyer Concrete for the use of its compact modular cement kiln technology. Maschmeyer Concrete plans to operate the kilns using its 90,000t/yr of ‘waste’ concrete as a feedstock. The company will build an initial 50,000t/yr-capacity mini cement plant in Florida. The partners are currently conducting site analysis and a feasibility study for the project.

This latest deal brings Furno Materials’ total commitments to 295,000t/yr across announced and unannounced projects. The sale remains contingent on the successful deployment of its first commercial-scale reactor with concrete producer Ozinga in Chicago, Illinois.


Sweden: The Swedish Energy Agency has awarded US$12.5m to Boliden under its Industrial Leap initiative to support the development of a low-carbon cement alternative derived from iron-rich residual materials. The product allows for partial replacement of limestone in cement. Boliden is building an industrial demonstration plant to produce, test and verify the new material, which is based on byproducts from its own operations. Boliden estimates that the technology could cut value-chain emissions by around 600,000t/yr of CO₂ if fully implemented across its operations.

“Demonstrating innovative new technology to manufacture products with lower carbon emissions is fully in line with the purpose of the Industrial Leap. By reusing materials in new products instead of depositing them, the project also contributes to more circular use of materials,” said Klara Helstad, Deputy Head of the Department for Research, Innovation and Business Development at the Swedish Energy Agency.