Global Cement News

North Korea: State-controlled media has reported that the Sangwon Cement Complex has carried out its third quarterly national economic plan according to schedule. It said that the complex took measures to operate equipment at full capacity and ‘conducted the operation and command in a meticulous way.’ It reportedly increased production by 108% compared to the third quarter of 2024.

India: Noida International Airport (NIA) has become India's first large-scale project to utilise limestone calcined clay cement (LC3), a low-carbon alternative to traditional cement. In a statement, concessionaire Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) said LC3 was used extensively in the construction of the airport.

Developed for more than 10 years by researchers at IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, Swiss Development Cooperation, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Switzerland), Universidad de las Villas (Cuba), and Technology and Action for Rural Advancement (TARA), LC3 emits up to 40% less CO₂ than conventional Portland cement. It costs 25% less to produce, uses low-grade limestone and clays and requires lower energy for manufacturing while delivering comparable strength.

Senegal: The Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition, in partnership with Cementis and with the support of the United Nations Climate Technology Centre and Network, held a workshop in late September 2025 to launch the national roadmap for decarbonisation in the cement industry. The initiative aims to reduce CO₂ emissions in cement production in the country by optimising industrial processes and adapting the energy sources used.

World: Market analysis agency S&P Global has collated the latest data on the global seaborne cement trade in the first half of 2025. Citing research by shipbroking house Howe Robinson Partners, it reported total volumes of 107Mt in the six-month period, up by 7% year-on-year from 100Mt in the first half of 2024. This is the largest global first-half volume recorded since 2021. Full-year seaborne cement trade volumes were 207Mt in 2024, up by 1.5% from 204Mt in 2023.

Vietnam and Türkiye remained the leading global cement exporters, with 16.1Mt and 12.5Mt, 15% and 12% of the total, respectively. Both countries slightly increased their export volumes. Next up in the rankings, Egyptian shipments rose by 14% to 10.9Mt, overtaking Iran, with 6.5Mt (down by 10%). Other rapid growth geographies included Indonesia, with 7.2Mt (up by 22%) and Pakistan, with 4.4Mt (up by 26%).

On the import side, despatches to the US fell by 1% to 11.4Mt, while Bangladeshi imports rose by 9% to 8.7Mt. West Africa was the largest regional market in terms of volumes. It imported 11.8Mt, up by 17%.

Pakistan: Listed cement producers closed the 2025 financial year (ending 30 June 2025) with their best results in several years, posting a combined after-tax profit of US$593m. This was an increase of 38% from US$431m in the 2024 financial year. Revenue for the sector rose by 7% to US$3.1bn, supported by stronger retention prices, cheaper coal and greater reliance on efficient power sources, which lifted gross margins to 31%. Cement dispatches increased by 2% to 37.4Mt for the year, reflecting a modest rebound in volumes alongside firmer pricing. In the fourth quarter of the 2025 financial year, sales grew 5% year-on-year, with dispatches up 4% to 9.3Mt.