Iraq/Syria: Iraq has begun to export cement to Syria through the al-Waleed border crossing on a trial basis, according to Iraq’s Border Ports Authority, with shipments entering gradually to test procedures and ensure smooth operations at border crossings. It said that shipment volumes are expected to increase progressively based on evaluations during the initial operational phase. Cement is also beginning to arrive at the al-Yarubiyah-Rabia crossing, as part of a plan to distribute trade flows across multiple crossings.

The Iraqi Ministry of Industry and Minerals said in mid-2025 that it is developing a plan to set up new cement plants with a production capacity of 52Mt/yr, reportedly to meet growing demand and support ongoing construction projects in Iraq.

Spain: Molins reported sales of €268m in the first quarter of 2026, up by 8% year-on-year, despite a ‘global environment characterised by economic and geopolitical uncertainty.’ Earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 4% year-on-year to €54m. Adjusted EBITDA reached €90m, up by 8%, supported by contributions from joint ventures and the strong performance of consolidated businesses. The company said growth was driven by price management, efficiency gains and acquisitions, despite adverse weather conditions in Spain and Portugal and foreign exchange headwinds, such as in Argentina.

Molins completed the acquisition of Secil at the end of March 2026, increasing its net debt to around €1.40bn. The acquisition was funded through a €680m long-term loan and a €500m bridge loan. On a 2025 pro-forma basis, the combination of Molins and Secil reaches sales of €1.6bn and adjusted EBITDA of €534m.The acquisition is expected to generate positive results from the first year, the company said.

Molins CEO Marcos Cela said “In a still uncertain global context, we have started 2026 with solid operating performance, supported by price discipline, improved efficiency and the commitment of our teams. The completion of the Secil acquisition marks the beginning of a new chapter for Molins. Our focus now is on advancing the integration rigorously, ensuring business continuity and leveraging our increased scale and a more balanced footprint to accelerate our sustainable growth agenda and long-term value creation.”

Ireland: CRH reported sales of US$7.4bn in the first quarter of 2026, up by 9% year-on-year, driven by positive demand and contributions from acquisitions. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 18% year-on-year to US$600m. The company recorded a net loss of US$200m, compared to a net loss of US$100m in the first quarter of 2025, attributed to higher depreciation and increased expenses.

The Americas Materials Solutions division saw sales increase by 21% year-on-year and adjusted EBITDA up by 75%. Cement volumes were 10% ahead of the prior year. The Americas Building Solutions reported total revenues 1% behind the first quarter of 2025, driven by subdued residential demand and adverse weather conditions, and International Solutions reported revenues 5% higher than the first quarter of 2025 and EBITDA growth of 32%.

CRH said “We are reaffirming our financial guidance reflecting a strong start to the year as well as the net impact of divestitures and acquisitions agreed in the year to date. We continue to expect favourable underlying demand across our key-markets, underpinned by significant public investment in infrastructure and continued reindustrialisation activity.” Its 2026 outlook targets net income of US$3.9bn-US$4.1bn and adjusted EBITDA of US$8.1bn-US$8.5bn.

Portugal: KHD Humboldt Wedag has achieved the first kiln firing and completed cold commissioning of Line 7 at Cimpor’s Alhandra cement plant. The company said in a post to Linkedin that that the upgrade includes installation of KHD’s Pyrorotor alternative fuel combustion reactor at one of the world’s oldest continuously operating cement plants. The company is now working on hot commissioning at the plant and production of the first clinker.