Global Cement News

UAE: Fives Group’s Mineral Business Line has set up a new subsidiary in the Middle East to support customers with services and technical assistance. Based in Dubai and referring to the Services Department, the new division aims to support Fives' customers through a local presence and by offering its services including upgrade and revamping projects, technical assistance, supply of spare parts, on-site machining and so on.

Nigeria: Ashaka Cement has spent over US$4m on community projects in Gombe state since 2010. The funding has been invested in social initiatives near its Ashaka cement plant and Maiganga coal mine, according to the Daily Independent newspaper. Its projects include training young people in vocational trades and engineering. It also distributed 5000 safety vests to schoolchildren at a community day.

Bolivia: A group of retired workers who used to work for Sociedad Boliviana de Cemento (Soboce) have asked for a 10% share in the cement producer. They have made their request to the company’s largest shareholder, the businessman and politician Samuel Doria Medina, according to the La Razon newspaper. They were allocated a 10% share in the business in 1975. However, the pensioners allege that Doria Medina cancelled their shares using false documentation. Doria Medina holds a 49% share in the company. He sold the other 51% share for US$300m to Holding Cementero, the largest shareholder of Consorcio Cementero del Sur, which is part of Gloria Group in 2014.

Lithuania: The Bega cement terminal has won a ‘Product of Lithuania’ award from the government. Minister of Economy Virginijus Sinkevičius and the President of the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists (LPK) Robert Dargis presented a medal to Laimonas Rimkus, the general manager of Bega, according to the Vakarų Ekspresas newspaper. The joint venture with local cement producer Akmenes Cementas was commissioned in early 2018. The terminal plans to increase its exports of cement to 0.35Mt/yr by 2020.

Barbados: The Caribbean Court Of Justice has ruled in favour of Trinidad Cement on maintaining a 60% tariff on imports of cement. The subsidiary of Mexico’s Cemex and its own subsidiary Arawak Cement complained that import company Rock Hard Cement was only being taxed by 5%, according to the Nation News newspaper. However, the case will continue as the ruling only refers to hydraulic cement. It is unclear what classification of cement that Rock Hard Cement is importing.