Colombia: The Financial Superintendence of Colombia has authorised a proposed merger between Cementos Argos and Concretos Argos. The company explained that both entities carry out complementary activities and that the integration aims to move toward a ‘simpler, more agile, and more efficient’ corporate structure without disrupting operational continuity. Cementos Argos will act as the absorbing company in the transaction, while Concretos Argos will be the absorbed entity, given that the former is the sole shareholder of the latter.

The process had already been approved by the competent bodies of both companies on 17 March 2026. It received the backing of the General Assembly of Ordinary Bondholders for Cementos Argos’ outstanding issuances on 15 April 2026, prior to obtaining final authorisation from the Financial Superintendence on 30 June 2026.

Burkina Faso: The government has established Cim-Sahel, a 60% state-owned private-public partnership endowed with capital of US$9m. According to Trade Minister Serge Gnaniodem Poda, the company will guarantee the availability of cement throughout the country, curb speculation by enforcing reasonable prices and support the rapid pace of public and private infrastructure projects.

Zimbabwe: South Africa-based PPC’s sale of a property in Arlington, near Harare, has fallen through after the prospective buyer failed to pay $30m by the agreed deadline of 30 June 2026. This frustrates the producer’s plans to divest its non-core assets. PPC was attempting to sell the properly to Transvaal Africa through its 88% subsidiary PPC Zimbabwe.

The deal previously showed ‘signs of strain’ in February 2026, when PPC told shareholders it had agreed with the buyer to push back the deadline to the end of June 2026 as ‘administrative matters had delayed the meeting of certain milestones.’

PPC Zimbabwe regained ownership of the Arlington property in December 2024, following its seizure by the Zimbabwean government in 2010.

Indonesia/Germany: Heidelberg Materials is facing local protests against a planned cement plant and limestone quarry in Central Java. Locals say that the company failed to properly assess and mitigate the potential harms of its plans in the Kendeng Mountains. They say the project may damage a rare karst ecosystem and harm the livelihoods of Indigenous people in the area. An official complaint to the German Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control against Heidelberg Materials and Indocement is Indonesia's first to be filed under Germany's new supply chain law, which is designed to ensure that human rights are respected throughout the supply chains of German companies.

“If the project is implemented, we face an ecological catastrophe, impoverishment and violations of our human rights,” said Bambang Sutikyo, one of the complainants.

Heidelberg Materials said that affected communities had had the opportunity to voice concerns to the company's local subsidiary PT Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa during the project's permitting process and that feedback was reflected in the project planning. She added that “No decision on the implementation of the project has been taken.”