Australia: MCi Carbon has completed low-carbon cement trials with cement producer Boral. The material was produced at MCi Carbon’s Myrtle demonstration plant in Newcastle, New South Wales. The plant was officially opened in June 2026 and has been used by Boral in concrete field trials at its Maldon cement plant. The project investigated new supplementary cementitious materials for potential use in lower-carbon concrete for infrastructure applications. The trial incorporated a low-carbon cement material called ‘Pozzlock’, a synthetic pozzolan. Each tonne of MCI’s cementitious material can reportedly avoid up to 0.5t of CO₂.

Vietnam: Bach Dang Cement officially commissioned the Lien Khe cement plant in Vietnam’s northern Haiphong City on 19 July 2026, marking the start of commercial production at the facility. The plant’s first production line has a capacity of 3500t/day, equivalent to 1.5 - 1.7Mt/yr of cement. The company said the facility has sourced equipment from Europe and the US to meet quality and environmental standards.

The company is also planning a second production line with a capacity of 5000 - 6000t/day of clinker. The project is supported by an integrated value chain, including a limestone quarry and an inland port, ensuring stable supplies of raw materials and fuel. It is expected to contribute around US$7.59m to the local budget.

Philippines/Vietnam: The Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has rejected an appeal by NCL Trading regarding anti-dumping duties imposed on CEM I cement imported from Vietnam. Under Administrative Order No. 26-05, the DTI upheld the Philippine Tariff Commission’s decision to maintain the anti-dumping measures introduced in 2023 for a five-year period.

The ruling allows NCL Trading and Vissai Ninh Binh to retain their company-specific duty rates instead of being subject to the higher rate applied to other Vietnamese exporters. NCL Trading will continue to face an anti-dumping duty of 2%, equivalent to US$0.82/t, while Vissai Ninh Binh remains subject to a 10% duty, or US$4.03/t. Other Vietnamese cement exporters may face duties of up to 23%. DTI dismissed NCL’s claims that the review lacked transparency, that the dumping margin calculation was inappropriate, and that there was insufficient evidence of ‘continued injury’ to the Philippine cement industry.

US/Canada: President Donald Trump has imposed a 50% tariff on a wide range of goods from Canada, including cement, for what he called ‘unequal treatment’ of US cars, dairy and alcohol. Trump invoked Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which permits a president to impose punitive tariffs of up to 50% against trading partners deemed to have ‘discriminated’ against US goods. It marks the law’s first known usage in nearly 100 years of existence, according to Reuters. The new tariffs will take effect in 30 days, or from 19 August 2026.

No more specific details were disclosed regarding the impact on the cement sector. Canada has a production capacity of 19Mt/yr and the US is its major export market, so major disruption is expected.