Global Cement News

Bangladesh: The China Building Materials Federation has expressed interest in investing US$2bn in the country’s infrastructure. A 12-person delegation from China met with the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) to discuss the proposal that includes developing the cement sector. Both sides have agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding on the potential investment.

Ireland: CRH’s sales in Asia dropped by 12% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2017. The building materials producer blamed the fall on a slow start to the year in the Philippines due to poor weather, high competition and low prices. No exact figures were provided in the company’s April 2017 trading update.

Overall, across all business lines, the group’s sales rose by 3% on a like-for-like basis. It reported that in the Americas sales were ‘in line’ with the prior year. In Europe sales rose by 6% due to stabilising markets with rises in cement sale volumes noted in Poland, Finland and France. Cement volumes were reported as ‘marginally behind’ in the UK.

China: Anhui Conch Cement’s net profit has grown by 86% year-on-year to US$312m in the first quarter of 3017 from US$168m in the same period of 2016. Its revenue rose by 29% to US$1.98bn from US$1.54bn. It attributed the gains in profit to increases in sales volumes and prices.

Germany: Eliza Suk Ching Yuen has decided to step down from the position of Supervisory Board Member of KHD Humboldt Wedag International (KHD). The resignation will take effect from the end of the next Annual General Meeting on 23 May 2017. Yuen was elected to the board in 2012.

Mexico: Martha Soledad Rodríguez Rico, the chief financial officer of Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua (GCC) has died. The company is conducting a succession process that will appoint a replacement in due course.