Namibia: The government has granted permission for Cheetah Cement to buy Ohorongo Cement. Industries, mines and energy minister Modestus Amutse said he had overruled a decision by the Namibian Competition Commission to block the purchase after an appeal by China-owned Whale Rock, the owner of Cheetah Cement, according to the Namibian newspaper. The decision has also prompted to Cheetah Cement to pause plans to lay off 87 workers. It had previously warned that the jobs were at risk due to financial losses arising from import restrictions on cement exports to Botswana and Zimbabwe, and a poor demand domestically.

Whale Rock attempted to buy Schwenk Namibia, the owner of Ohorongo Cement, in February 2025. However, the competition commission blocked the deal warning of reduced competition locally and a threat to jobs. Cheetah Cement spokesperson Tabby Moyo said that both Cheetah Cement and Ohorongo Cement have been operating at 50% production capacity under the current market conditions. He added that there should now be no job losses, although workers will need to relocate from the Otjiwarongo cement plant to the Otavi one. Following the government announcement it has been recommended that both Whale Rock Cement and Schwenk Namibia should increase local ownership to at least 40%.

Australia: First Graphene (FGR) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with The Sixth Element (Changzhou) Material Technology for the latter company to be its key distributor in China for First Graphene's PureGRAPH CEM additive product. The agreement allows exclusivity for Sixth Element, subject to annual purchase targets being achieved, and will target the cement and concrete sector.

The MOU also includes provisions upon sale of 200t of FGR's product to negotiate a joint venture or licencing agreement to manufacture the additive at a dedicated manufacturing site in China. Once 500t of PureGRAPH CEM is sold in China, a joint venture or licencing agreement will commence, enabling the product line manufactured in China to be distributed locally. There is also opportunity expand this arrangement to authorise Sixth Element to sell the additive globally.

First Graphene Managing Director and CEO, Michael Bell, said "The MOU with Sixth Element represents the largest commercial growth opportunity in FGR's global strategy, as we prepare for entry to the world's biggest cement and concrete industry in the world.”

France: Hoffman Green Materials sold nearly 40,000t of cement in the first half of 2026. This was more than the double the volume it sold in the first half of 2025. The company has also recorded the 1000th production order milestone for its H2 vertical plant and signed nine commercial and industrial partnerships so far in 2026. In June 2026 the company completed a private placement of around €5m. This will be used to ramp-up production volumes, improve cost optimisation, fund the initial stages of the new H3 production site project and continue research and development efforts. The H3 site is scheduled to come online in 2029 in the Rhône-Alpes region.

Julien Blanchard and David Hoffman, the co-founders of Hoffman Green Materials Technologies, said “…we are demonstrating that our 0% clinker cements meet the expectations of a growing number of major players in the construction industry.”

Australia: A train carrying cement has derailed close to Boral’s New Berrima cement plant on 4 July 2026. Multiple train cars came off the rails in the incident, according to the Illawarra Mercury newspaper. A spokesperson for Boral confirmed the accident took place on a service operated by the company's rail service partner with its equipment. No injuries have been reported and the train line was reopened on 5 July 2026.