France: Minerals producer Omya has partnered with Lafarge France (part of Holcim) to support the development of low-carbon cement and concrete solutions. The collaboration is effective from 1 October 2026 and brings together technical expertise and local production capabilities to lower environmental impact. Omya reported on 9 April 2026 that it was in preliminary discussions regarding a partnership with the company and had initiated a consultation process.
El Salvador: Cement imports in El Salvador have reached their highest level in three decades during the first half of 2026, according to local press, which cited the latest data from the Central Reserve Bank. The volume of purchases during this period reached 389,330t, an increase of 35% year-on-year, the largest volume recorded since 1994. China emerged as the leading supplier, representing 26% of the total, followed by Vietnam, Honduras and Guatemala.
US: Mafix, a startup that turns abundant minerals into carbon-negative silicon-based fertilisers and other mineral products, announced that it has raised US5.4m in pre-seed funding. The company said that due to a decrease in global demand for clinker, roughly 30% of global cement kiln capacity is sitting idle. By partnering with cement producers to utilise spare capacity on kilns, Mafix’s process reportedly eliminates the need for new facilities to produce the fertilisers and provides access to existing logistical hubs for efficient delivery.
"Mafix's silicon fertiliser is designed to improve soil health and agricultural productivity while delivering a scalable solution for permanent CO₂ removal, addressing two critical global challenges with a single technology,” said Jillian Chase at Azolla Ventures, which led the funding round. “Its use of existing cement infrastructure for manufacturing means it can scale quickly to address farmers’ immediate needs while the Mafix team develop additional products via their mineral transformation technology.”
New Zealand: Fletcher Building Materials has published a net profit of US$135m for the financial year ending in June 2026. This is up by 154% from a net loss of -US$249m in the previous period from June 2024 to June 2025. After last year’s loss, it announced a reset aimed at cutting costs, simplifying its business and reducing debt. It sold its construction division and used the proceeds of the sale to ‘strengthen’ its balance sheet. CEO Andrew Reding said the company was ‘significantly more resilient’ than it was 12 months ago.
In July 2026, the company received US$35m from the government to support its operations amid overseas competition that did not face the same CO₂ emissions charges. Reding said that, without the support, the plant would have likely had to close and move to an import-only model from 2030. Golden Bay Cement is New Zealand’s only domestic cement plant, meaning that its closing would expose the country to global supply disruptions and potential high costs from imports.
