US: Amrize has expanded its ‘Made in America’ cement label to four additional plants, bringing the total to nine plants across the US. The label confirms that cement is produced entirely in the US, from raw materials to processing and production, meeting national performance standards and supporting local jobs. The newly added plants are located at the company sites in Ada, Oklahoma; Alpena, Michigan; Joppa, Illinois; and Paulding, Ohio. The label first rolled out at five sites in November 2025, including at its flagship Ste. Genevieve plant in Missouri. Amrize said that it is increasing production at its major cement plants as part of a US$900m investment programme, which will expand its ‘Made in America’ offering.

Patrick Cleary, senior vice president of US cement and supply chain, said “As America’s builders prioritise domestic materials, our ‘Made in America’ label offers our customers the confidence of US performance standards along with reliable supply at scale, while supporting local jobs and communities.”

Brazil: Cement sales in Brazil reached 15.9Mt in the first quarter of 2026, rising by 2% year-on-year, according to the National Cement Industry Union (SNIC). Sales in March 2026 totalled 5.80Mt, up by 9% year-on-year. The growth was supported by a strong labour market, rising employment and continued activity in the housing sector, including the Minha Casa Minha Vida programme (MCMV). The government’s goal of reaching 3 million units by the end of 2026 could reportedly increase cement demand by around 5Mt.

However, the sector continues to monitor interest rates, debt levels and labour shortages, despite a rise in consumer confidence in March 2026. SNIC said that the war between the US and Iran had ‘generated instability’ in markets and the global economy, which is directly reflected in international prices of oil and gas, causing concern regarding production and logistics costs. Around 90% of cement transport relies on road freight in Brazil, making costs sensitive to diesel prices. It added that co-processing using biomass, industrial waste and refuse-derived fuel had enabled a 30% thermal substitution rate, helping to avoid 2.8Mt of CO₂ emissions in the past year, while work continues on decarbonisation initiatives like the Net Zero 2050 Roadmap and the development of a national emissions trading system.

President of SNIC Paulo Camillo Penna said “Despite a resilient start to the year, the projection for 2026 is for moderate growth. The sector's performance will depend on internal aspects — such as inflation, interest rates, and economic activity — and external factors, linked to the end of the conflict and the duration of its effects. If, on the one hand, there is an effort to reindustrialise the country with government programmes being implemented, on the other hand, there are initiatives such as changes to working hours that, without the necessary technical analysis, are aggravated by occurring in a pre-election period. Furthermore, the regulation of freight price fixing without the necessary technical depth affects the stability, predictability, and resumption of growth in Brazilian industry.”

Iraq: The General Company for Cement reported production of 676,000t of cement in February 2026, attributing the increase to stable and continuous operations across its plants, according to local press.

Director general Awad Kazem Abd al-Amir said that more than 664,000t of cement were sold in February 2026, which met domestic demand and reportedly strengthened the position of locally-produced cement. He said that several plants recorded year-on-year growth, led by the Kubaisa cement plant at 37%, followed by the Qaim plant at 17% and the Sinjar plant at 14%. Kubaisa produced more than 1.7Mt of cement in 2025 and is approaching its designed capacity of 1.8Mt/yr.

The domestic cement market is estimated at around 25Mt/yr, supported by housing, oilfield infrastructure projects and ongoing reconstruction efforts. The company said that efforts are ongoing to improve plant performance and expand capacity to support self-sufficiency.

India: JK Cement will procure 7MW of power from Mehrauni Electro Power’s 40MW solar project in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh under a group captive arrangement. The power will supply JK Cement’s manufacturing operations in Prayagraj. The company has invested US$225,000 to acquire a 9.77% stake in Mehrauni Electro Power, which is a special purpose vehicle of Onward Solar Power. It has acquired 2.1 million equity shares at a face value of around US$0.11 each. JK Cement said that it increased its green power procurement to 51% in the 2025 financial year from 19% in the financial year 2020, with 101.84MW sourced from wind and solar. It currently holds around 274MW of power purchase agreements for renewable energy procurement.