Global Cement Newsletter

Issue: GCW742 / 14 January 2026

Headlines


Medcem said this week that it had commissioned a new terminal in Trieste. The timing sends a message because the European Union’s (EU) Cross Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) started its full effect on 1 January 2026. This means that it now potentially costs more to import cement into the EU. So why would a non-EU cement importer want to start running import terminals?

Türkiye-based Medcem ended 2025 with the announcement that a new terminal in Antwerp, Belgium, had started operation. That was followed this week by the commissioning of the new terminal in Trieste, Italy. The latter site was built with Seadock, a local subsidiary of Samer Group. The unit has a storage capacity of 11,000t and is expected to process up to 120,000t/yr. Notably, the terminal will unload cargo via an underground pipeline connected to the quay and stored in nearby silos before despatch across the EU.

When Global Cement Magazine spoke to Mehmet Ali Ceylan, the CEO of Medcem in 2024, he described his company as an “export-oriented” one. At the time its main markets for cement were the US, the Middle East and the UK. The EU was the principal destination for clinker. In the UK it built a terminal in Sheerness in 2024 and is expected to commission others, in Glasgow and Liverpool, in 2026.

CBAM went live at the start of 2026 following a two-year transition phase. The simple version is that importers of certain goods including cement pay a fee for the emissions intensity of the product and then an EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) cost. However, the actual calculation is much more complicated than this and the European Commission has been continually tweaking the system. In mid-December 2025 it emerged that the commission had lowered its benchmark emissions intensity figures for various commodities, putting up the cost to import. Grey cement clinker's benchmark, for example, dropped to 0.666/t CO2 from 0.693/t CO2. The commission also set default emissions values to calculate CBAM costs if producers failed to disclose their actual emissions. All of this generally favours larger importers that understand the system, can verify their emissions and can still compete on price. Nor should industrial suppliers feel left out, since the commission also decided to expand the scope of the CBAM to include industrial machinery from the start of 2028.

Last time Global Cement Weekly looked at the effects of CBAM in Europe, the conclusion was that Türkiye was the most exposed to the new scheme as the biggest source of imports but that the emissions intensity of its cement was considered to be fairly competitive. Countries in North Africa faced differing consequences but there would be some potential losers. Ukraine, in particular, was likely to face issues with exports to the EU under the new scheme. Recent figures from Argus suggest that trading prices for cement from Türkiye and Egypt would suffer against those from Pakistan and Vietnam. However, this does not take into account the new CBAM costs.

Graph 1: Sources of cement and clinker imports to the EU in 2024. Source: Eurostat/Cement Europe 

Graph 1: Sources of cement and clinker imports to the EU in 2024. Source: Eurostat/Cement Europe

Naturally, a number of countries complained when the full version of the CBAM started. A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce called it “unfair and discriminatory” and said that the country might consider countermeasures. The India-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), warned the Times of India newspaper that the move would shift the decarbonisation costs on to developing countries, including India. It added that the scheme could generate €1.5bn/yr for the EU by 2028 at the expense of the Global South.

Medcem’s investment in terminals within the EU suggests that it is confident enough to invest in operations in the region even as CBAM goes live. The three sites in the UK will be subject to the UK’s parallel scheme, due for introduction from 2027 onwards. It is also possible that Medcem is using its new terminals to increase its competitiveness under the new scheme. Medcem may also have an advantage, compared to an independent trader, that it can more easily verify the emissions at its plants. Generally, as mentioned above, each country’s share of cement and clinker imports to Europe looks set to shift as the new tax impacts the market. Watch this space.

Finally, spare a thought for those places in the EU but outside of Europe geographically. The French West Indies, for example, is part of the EU and subject to CBAM despite being in the Caribbean. Cement producers in Martinique complained to local press at the start of the year that prices will need to rise due to the necessity of importing clinker from outside of the EU.


US: CalPortland has appointed Bill Mullen as president. He will work with CEO Allen Hamblen, who will remain in the post. Mullen will be responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations and executing the company’s strategic initiatives.

Mullen has worked for CalPortland since 2001. He started as Vice President Sales - Nevada Materials Group, later became Senior Vice President Materials Group in 2018 and then Chief Operating Officer in 2024. Earlier in his career he worked for TXI as a Regional Sales Manager. He is a graduate in business administration from Stephen F Austin State University and holds an Executive Master in Business Administration and Management from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.


Germany: Heidelberg Materials has appointed Göktuğ Aktaş as Commercial Director - East Africa Cluster. He is responsible for the company’s commercial strategy in Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa.

Aktaş has worked for Heidelberg Materials since 2018. He started as Performance Manager (Northern and Eastern Europe-Central Asia) and then became Director - Africa, Mediterranean and West Asia in 2024. Prior to this, he was employed by Akçansa from 2011 to 2018. Starting in quality management roles, he became Country Production and Quality Manager in 2017. He holds an undergraduate degree in science and civil engineering from Istanbul Technical University and a master’s of business administration (MBA) qualification from Istanbul University.


India: JSW Cement has appointed Alok Niranjanlal Bagaria as Plant Head in Jaipur.

Bagaria previously worked for JSW Cement as Associate Vice President- Operations since 2019. Earlier he worked for Orient Cement from the mid-1990s to 2019. Starting in engineering roles he eventually became General Manager Operations in 2015. During this time he also worked for ABG Cement as Deputy General Manager from 2012 to 2015. He holds an undergraduate degree in engineering from Nagpur University and holds a master’s of business administration (MBA) qualification from the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India University, Sikkim.


Singapore: Schaeffler has appointed Maximilian Fiedler as Regional Chief Executive Officer Asia/Pacific. He has also joined the company board representing his region.

Fiedler, aged 38 years, has been working as the Chief Financial Officer Region Asia/Pacific, since 2022. In mid-2025 he took the role as Regional CEO Asia/Pacific on a temporary basis in addition to his role as CFO Asia/Pacific. Fiedler has worked with Schaeffler since 2012 and has held roles that include Head of External Reporting for Schaeffler Group and Chief Financial Officer for Schaeffler Mexico. Prior to this, he was Treasury Manager for HeidelbergCement in Germany. He holds one master’s degree in international business from the Maastricht University School of Business and Economics and another in corporate science from the EDHEC Business School.


Egypt: Sky Ports Group has announced the start of construction of a bulk cement export terminal within its multi-purpose facility at Port Said, with a total investment of US$50m. The project is reportedly intended to boost cement exports and open access to new international markets, according to local press.

Tarek Hussein, chair of Sky Ports Group, said the feasibility study took nearly two years due to market challenges linked to a lack of internationally compliant bulk cement storage silos. This shortage has previously limited Egypt’s export capacity despite surplus domestic production. Hussein said the project aligns with the government’s strategy to increase exports of finished products and improve the competitiveness of Egyptian goods overseas. He added that strict import requirements in markets such as the US had constrained Egyptian bulk cement exports, and that the new terminal would remove these barriers.

The terminal will feature eight concrete silos, each with a capacity of 20,000t, giving total storage of 160,000t. It will have a handling capacity of 20,000t/day and a rate of 1000t/hr, allowing it to serve Panamax-class vessels. The project is being implemented through international partnerships with Spain, Germany and Denmark. Technical systems are reportedly being prepared in Denmark and Spain, with operations scheduled to commence in January 2026. The remaining silos will be delivered consecutively, two every four months, reaching full capacity by the end of 2027.

Once fully operational, the terminal is expected to increase Egypt’s cement export capacity to 4 - 6Mt/yr, while opening markets that previously could not receive Egyptian cement.


Australia: 20Mt of fly ash from the disused Port Augusta power station will be converted into low-carbon cement under the ‘Green Cement Transformation Project’, backed by a US$8m concessional loan from the South Australian government. Peter Malinauskas, premier of South Australia, said the project would create around 150 jobs during construction and approximately 50 ongoing roles once operational. Construction is expected to begin by the end of 2026, according to ABC news.

Malinauskas said "[Hallett] has developed an outstanding new technology that is literally a game changer when it comes to cement production in Australia … which, in effect, doubles the production capacity of the whole state when it comes to cement production. [This] will take 20Mt of leftover fly ash from the Port Augusta power station and turn it into ‘green’ cement, with effectively a 60% carbon reduction on cement we would otherwise normally see." Malinauskas added that the project would address the ‘genuine shortage’ of cement and concrete throughout the state.

Two infrastructure hubs will be built at Port Augusta and Port Adelaide. These facilities will enable waste byproducts from the former Northern Power Station fly ash dam and the Nyrstar Port Pirie smelter to be repurposed into low-carbon cement products.


Afghanistan: Murat Dikmen, the Turkish consul general based in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, has announced plans for the construction of a cement plant in northern Jowzjan province with an investment of more than US$150m. According to the governor’s office, Dikmen made the announcement during a meeting with Mawlawi Abdullah Sarhadi, the recently appointed governor of Jawzjan. The discussions focused on ongoing cooperation and Türkiye’s development programmes in the province. Dikmen said the proposed cement plant would involve an investment in the range of US$150m-200m and is expected to create employment opportunities for ‘hundreds of people’ once implemented.

The Turkish construction company 77 Inşaat previously signed a contract with The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum in Afghanistan in October 2024, worth approximately US$163m.


India: Bihar’s Industries Department has approved a 50% expansion of production capacity at Rohtas Cement, a unit of Dalmia Cement (Bharat), located in Banjari, Rohtas district in western Bihar. Under the Bihar Industrial Investment Promotion Rules, the plant has been permitted to increase its capacity by 0.5Mt/yr, from 1Mt/yr to 1.5Mt/yr. A private capital investment of US$1.19bn has reportedly been approved for the expansion. The expansion of the unit is expected to support industrial investment in the state and create 594 direct jobs, according to The Hindustan Times.


Kazakhstan: Cement production reached a historic high in the first 11 months of 2025, reaching 13.1Mt, according to the state news agency Kazinform, citing the Ministry of Trade and Integration. The increase was driven primarily by improvements to the national cement certification system introduced under the updated ST RK 3361-2022 standard. In 2025, the ministry approved revised national standards that imposed stricter requirements on the technological regulation of cement and Portland cement clinker production. The updated framework reportedly aims to close regulatory gaps, improve product competitiveness, reduce production risks and strengthen energy efficiency and environmental sustainability standards across the sector.

Authorities noted that following the initial introduction of ST RK 3361-2022 in 2019, the country recorded a decline in grey market imports, alongside steady growth in domestic cement output.


China: Sinoma Overseas has signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with Yamama Cement for a cement silos project in Beijing, marking its first EPC agreement of 2026, according to a social media post by the company. The contract follows the successful delivery of the earlier 10,000t/day clinker line relocation project, which was later upgraded to 12,500t/day. Sinoma Overseas said the new agreement represents a ‘solid and promising start’ to 2026.


Saudi Arabia: Southern Province Cement has confirmed the successful completion of a process control project at its Tehama plant, following the implementation of an AI-based cement mill optimiser system on cement mill CM6. According to a social media post by the producer, the system was developed and implemented by ES Processing, using a combination of artificial intelligence, machine learning and advanced process modelling.

During the performance phase, the mill recorded an average production increase of more than 15% compared with manual operation. Cement quality also improved, with the standard deviation of Blaine fineness and residue reduced to below 2%.

The company added that it plans to continue working with ES Processing on further AI-based advanced process control projects across its remaining mills and kilns.


Mexico: Cemex has been named on CDP’s 2025 ‘A List’ for climate action, the highest rating awarded by the global environmental disclosure platform for corporate transparency and performance on climate-related issues. The recognition places Cemex among a small group of companies worldwide that have demonstrated strong environmental leadership through climate data disclosure, risk identification and measurable action aligned with global decarbonisation goals. The assessment is based on the company’s submission to CDP’s 2025 Climate Change questionnaire.

In 2025, more than 22,000 companies disclosed environmental data through CDP, representing over half of global market capitalisation. Only 4% of reporting companies achieved an ‘A List’ rating. In addition to its climate score, Cemex also received an A- rating for its practices in corporate transparency and action on water security. CDP scores are increasingly used by investors and supply chains to inform decision-making and encourage sustainable business practices.


El Salvador: The port of La Unión received the vessel Prosperity 105 arriving from China, with a cargo of 21,000t of cement. The arrival reportedly forms part of the government’s strategy under President Nayib Bukele to reactivate and strengthen the port as a strategic hub for regional maritime trade, according to local press.


Italy: Türkiye’s Medcem Group has commissioned a new cement terminal at the Port of Trieste, strengthening its footprint in Europe and providing direct access to the Italian, Slovenian and Croatian markets. The Trieste terminal has been developed through a partnership with Seadock, part of the Samer Group, reviving previously underutilised port infrastructure and converting it into a modern bulk cement logistics facility. The project represents a brownfield investment of more than €3m. The facility is equipped with an unloading system that enables bulk cement to be transferred directly from vessels into storage silos via an underground pipeline. The terminal is expected to add around 120,000t/yr of cargo capacity to the port.


Vietnam: Distributors and retailers have been notified that a new round of cement price increases will take effect on 11 January 2026, with the adjustment mainly affecting bagged cement. Multiple producers are implementing the increases, including Vicem Ha Tien, SCG Vietnam and Insee Vietnam. According to price notices circulated to distributors, the adjustments reflect continued pressure from high input costs, particularly energy, transport and raw materials. The increases are expected to have a direct impact on short-term construction costs, especially for civil engineering works and projects entering the construction phase at the start of 2026. However, distributors said the move had largely been anticipated by the market and was unlikely to cause major disruption, as demand typically begins to recover after the Lunar New Year.


Brazil: Cement sales in December 2025 reached 4.9Mt, up by 5% year-on-year, according to data from the National Cement Industry Union (SNIC). Total cement sales for 2025 amounted to 67Mt, a year-on-year increase of 4%, equivalent to an additional 2.4Mt compared to 2024.

The performance consolidated the recovery that began in 2024, when sales rose by 4%. Despite the improvement, volumes remain below the historical peak of 73Mt recorded in 2014. All regions showed cumulative growth during the year, led by the Northeast at 7%, followed by the North at 4%, South at 3%, Southeast at 3% and Midwest at 2%.

SNIC said that a strong labour market supported demand, with unemployment falling to 5% in November 2025, the lowest level on record, while 103 million people were employed and average income hit a historic high. These factors expanded the wage bill, which has a strong correlation with cement consumption. However, the year was also marked by slowing GDP growth and tight monetary policy. The Selic interest rate (set by the Central Bank of Brazil) stood at 15% from June 2025 onwards, its highest level since July 2006, constraining mortgage lending. High household indebtedness, affecting 49% of income, and record defaults of 80.4 million people in October further pressured household budgets.

In housing, the Minha Casa, Minha Vida (MCMV) programme remained a key driver for cement demand. By September 2025, housing launches under the programme rose by 7.9% year-on-year, while sales increased by 16%. The North stood out, with MCMV accounting for 60% of new launches, while the Southeast recorded the highest number of units launched, at 34,000 properties in the third quarter of 2025.

On sustainability, SNIC said that Brazil continues to have one of the lowest cement carbon intensities globally, at 580kg CO₂/t. Co-processing reached 30% of the sector’s energy mix in 2025, equivalent to 3Mt of waste and biomass, avoiding 2.8Mt of CO₂ emissions.

“The performance of the Brazilian cement industry in 2025 was in line with SNIC's projections, supported by the MCMV programme and the advancement in infrastructure, strengthening concrete pavement as a strategic and sustainable solution. We also celebrate the success of our environmental agenda, with a record in co-processing and the launch of the Net Zero Roadmap during COP 30. We closed the year consolidating the recovery, but attentive to the economic situation, especially the Selic rate and the impact of indebtedness on family income,” said Paulo Camillo Penna, president of SNIC.


Bangladesh: Production at Chhatak Cement is expected to resume soon following a modernisation of the plant by converting it from a wet process to a dry process manufacturing system, according to Adilur Rahman Khan, adviser for industries and local government, rural development and cooperatives. Khan said the revival of the facility would improve efficiency and sustainability, according to local press.


US: Titan has announced that its subsidiary Titan America has entered into an agreement to acquire Keystone Cement, a Pennsylvania-based cement manufacturer and aggregates producer. The transaction includes an integrated cement plant with a clinker production capacity of 0.9Mt/yr, positioned to serve an addressable market of 5.6Mt/yr across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and Ohio. Titan says that the acquisition is expected to accelerate top-line growth, enhance geographic diversification and improve operating margins through ‘integration synergies’. The deal will reportedly generate ‘substantial’ operational and commercial benefits through integration with its existing US assets, including Essex Cement in New Jersey and Roanoke Cement in Virginia, as well as Titan America’s fly ash processing and marketing facilities operated by subsidiary Separation Technologies across Pennsylvania and Ohio.

The transaction price is US$310m, equivalent to approximately US$344/t of current clinker production capacity. Completion of the acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Marcel Cobuz, chair of the group executive committee, said the transaction aligns with Titan’s ‘Titan Forward 2029’ strategic priorities, focusing on expanding cement capacity and accelerating inorganic growth. “This acquisition in the US complements the recent acquisitions of an integrated cement plant in the Greater Istanbul Market with US export potential, a cement grinding plant in France, aggregates bolt-ons in Greece, along with investment partnerships in pozzolan in Greece and Türkiye as well as in fly ash facilities in the UK and in India,” he said.


Cambodia: The Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) has issued a licence for a new cement plant project in Kratie province with a registered investment capital of US$286m, according to the Khmer Times. In its annual report released in January 2026, the CDC said that the project was approved under the qualified investment project framework. Ung Dipola, director-general for Mineral Resources at the Ministry of Mines and Energy, confirmed that the cement capacity of the plant is 1Mt/yr and would bring the total number of cement plants in the country to seven. It is expected to be operational by the end of 2026 or 2027.

Cambodia currently has six operational cement plants - Kampot Cement, Battambang Conch Cement, Chip Mong Insee Cement, Cambodia Cement, Thai Boon Roong Cement and Conch KT Cement - which together produce around 14Mt/yr. Domestic cement demand is estimated at 9-10Mt/yr.

Dipola said that the sector has demonstrated resilient supply capacity, allowing Cambodia to meet domestic demand and even export cement. Since 2023, the country has imported only small volumes of cement, having transitioned from full reliance on imports to self-sufficiency and export capability. Cambodia approved 3503 construction projects in 2025 with a total investment value of US$7.32bn, up 69% year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction. Meanwhile, data from the Ministry of Commerce showed imports of construction materials reached US$2.36bn between January and November 2025, a 31% increase compared to the same period a year earlier.


Argentina: Geocycle, the sustainable waste management subsidiary of Holcim, has announced an investment of US$1.5m to install a new urban waste treatment line in Villa Carlos Paz, Córdoba. The project will have an initial processing capacity of 38,400t/yr and is intended to modernise the local waste treatment system while advancing a circular economy model.

The new technology will enable municipal waste from Villa Carlos Paz and surrounding towns to be converted into alternative fuels, which will be integrated into cement production. Geocycle said the initiative will help divert waste from landfill, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and partially replace the fossil fuels used in cement manufacturing. The new infrastructure will also reportedly improve waste sorting and conditioning, maximising material recovery and increasing the recovery of usable materials.

In Argentina, Geocycle currently operates three co-processing facilities located in Jujuy, Mendoza and Córdoba, along with a waste pre-conditioning facility, a post-consumer plastics separation station and another facility in the city of Córdoba.


Egypt: IRSC for Renewable Energy Solutions has agreed to supply renewable electricity to El Nahda Cement under a long-term power purchase agreement linked to a new solar project it will develop and operate. The 30-year PPA was signed between El Nahda Industries and Cobalt, an IRSC subsidiary, at a ceremony attended by Egypt’s minister of public business sector Mohamed Sheimy. Under the agreement, Cobalt will finance, build and operate a 27MW solar power plant to supply El Nahda’s cement facility in Qena governorate. The project will be delivered through a public-private partnership structure, with El Nahda purchasing the renewable electricity at agreed prices over the contract term. Cobalt will be responsible for technical studies, financing, engineering, procurement, construction, operation and maintenance.

Sheimy said that switching to clean power would strengthen El Nahda’s competitiveness and support compliance with the EU’s carbon border mechanism. El Nahda’s cement plant in Qena has been operating since 2012 and has a cement production capacity of about 1.5Mt/yr.


Argentina: The cement industry showed clear signs of recovery in 2025, reversing the contraction recorded over the previous two years, according to provisional data from Asociación de Fabricantes de Cemento Portland. Total cement despatches, including domestic sales and exports, rose by 6% year-on-year to 10.1Mt, compared with 9.56Mt in 2024. Cement consumption followed a similar trend, increasing by 6% to 10Mt. The rebound comes after a 3% decline between 2022 and 2023 and a 24% contraction from 2023 to 2024.

Monthly data throughout 2025 generally exceeded the figures in 2024, despite the usual seasonal slowdown at the end of the year. December 2025 despatches stood at 0.76Mt, slightly below the level recorded in December 2024.


Azerbaijan: Norm OJSC has completed a major project to expand clinker production capacity at its Norm cement plant. As a result, the plant’s clinker capacity has increased by 0.24Mt/yr, from 1.76Mt/yr to 2Mt/yr. The project was implemented with the participation of international partners, including China’s BTIEC and Germany-based equipment suppliers Gebr. Pfeiffer and Claudius Peters.

Henning Sasse, CEO of Norm OJSC, said “We decided to increase the plant’s production capacity, considering the expanding infrastructure needs and export opportunities of the country and the region. Increasing the clinker production capacity of the Norm Cement plant was an important step for us, both to meet domestic demand and to expand clinker export opportunities to foreign markets. This initiative will strengthen Azerbaijan’s industrial potential by ensuring that demand for cement and clinker within the country is fully met by local production over the next 15-20 years.”

Alongside the capacity expansion, the company has reduced the clinker ratio in cement production by 5% since 2024. This has allowed around 85,000t of clinker to be redirected into additional cement production, improving overall efficiency without increasing clinker output.


Saudi Arabia: Riyadh Cement expects to fully rely on natural gas as a substitute for liquid fuel in its operations from the beginning of 2027, according to CEO Shoeil Al-Ayed. The company previously announced that it had signed a US$15.8m contract with Chengdu Design & Research Institute as part of its liquid fuel displacement programme. Riyadh Cement said the contractor has already taken over the site, begun implementation and received the advance payment in line with agreed terms.

Al-Ayed said “The cement sector during the third quarter of 2025 faced some challenges represented in high clinker inventory levels for most companies, which reflected an increase in supply exceeding the actual demand in the market.”

He added that the market had been subject to increasing pressures that led to a noticeable decline in selling costs, which had negatively impacted the profitability levels of cement companies during that period. It was also communicated that the shift to natural gas would be implemented in a single step rather than through a phased transition. The expected cost savings will reportedly depend on the gas price applied at the time, with no official accounting price yet communicated.


France: Holcim has taken a minority equity stake in BW Ideol as part of a strategic partnership to scale up clean energy infrastructure for floating offshore wind. Under the agreement, the two companies will collaborate on the supply of construction materials to two fabrication lines for floating wind foundations being developed by BW Ideol in southern France and northeast Scotland. Holcim will contribute its low-carbon structural concrete, which it says is ‘ideal’ for offshore wind applications and produced under a local-for-local approach.

Holcim has previously supplied foundations for onshore wind projects in Australia, Croatia, Denmark, Poland, Spain and the UK, as well as offshore wind foundations along France’s northern coastline.


India: Beumer Group has officially inaugurated a new manufacturing facility in Jhajjar, Haryana, following an investment of US$22m aimed at strengthening its global production capabilities and long-term presence in the region. The new plant occupies a land parcel of 42,508m², with a built-up manufacturing area of 22,285m². Construction was completed in around 15 months, from the laying of the foundation stone in June 2024 to the start of operations in December 2025.

Beumer said the facility will enhance its ability to serve customers both in India and internationally, supporting its strategy of expanding manufacturing capacity closer to key growth markets while reinforcing its regional supply chain.