Vietnam: Data from the Vietnam Cement Association (VNCA) shows that the country’s export volumes of cement rose by 55% year-on-year to 31.7Mt in 2018. Producers generated an estimated US$1.2bn from exports, according to the Viet Nam News newspaper. The VNCA’s Chairman Nguyen Quang Cung attributed growing exports to decreased production in China, where production lines have been closed due to pollution.

The Ministry of Construction has attributed growing exports to better performance in the construction sector. Domestic cement consumption grew by 9% to 65.1Mt in 2018. It estimates that consumption will rise by up to 8% in 2019 to around 99Mt, comprising 69Mt for the local market and 30Mt for export. The main export markets in 2019 are expected to be the Philippines, Bangladesh, China, Taiwan and Peru.

Bangladesh: Saudi Arabia’s Southern Province Cement has signed a deal with Peakward Enterprises in Hong Kong to export 1.5Mt of clinker to Bangladesh. The first shipment was scheduled to start on 31 December 2018 and they will run until the end of June 2020. No value for the contract has been disclosed.

Japan: Taiheiyo Cement says it has started the country’s first carbon capture and storage (CCS) test at its Fujiwara plant in Inabe, in conjunction with the Ministry of Environment. It is testing a chemical absorption method on kiln exhaust gases at the plant. Further installations on the project will continue during January 2019.

India: Shree Cement has commissioned its 3Mt/yr integrated plant at Kodla, Kalaburagi in Karnataka state. The cement mill and the clinker line at the line were commissioned at the same time in late December 2018.