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.

India: JK Cement has partnered with Billion Electric to deploy more than 150 heavy-duty electric trucks during its current financial year, which began in June 2026, to decarbonise its operations. The partnership began with the deployment of 20 trucks, with a gross vehicle weight of 55t, from JK Cement’s Muddapur plant in Karnataka. The trucks will transport cement to stockpiles across Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa. The deployment will be supported by ChargeZone’s high-speed charging network across the three states.

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.

UK: Dragon Alfa Cement, a subsidiary of Cementos Portland Valderrivas that imports cement into the UK, has been fined €1.1m after one of its workers died after being crushed by equipment at the company’s bagging plant in Gloucestershire. Martin Bennett, 35, was crushed by a 1.6t concrete weight, used to raise pallets containing 25kg bags of cement. The fatal incident took place on 4 August 2021. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that a large section of the equipment’s perimeter fencing had been removed routinely over a prolonged period, allowing full access to dangerous, moving parts of the machinery. Dragon Alfa Cement was fined and ordered to pay an additional €11,275 in costs at court in Bristol on 21 July 2026.