US: Amrize has announced that it will upgrade its Midlothian cement plant in Texas, modernise surrounding logistics and improve operational efficiency for its customers. The project is part of US$900m of investments being made by the company during 2026.

The Midlothian expansion project, expected to be completed in 2027, will include the addition of 0.1Mt/yr through upgrades across the plant, upgrading it from 2.0Mt/yr to 2.1Mr/yr. Two new 15,000t silos will be built, taking the total number of silos to 14, and the number of truck loading lanes will increase from six to 11. Efficiency upgrades will include the implementation of self-service truck loading technology to reduce the average truck turnaround times to approximately five minutes. Amrize will also upgrade existing silos to unlock additional usable capacity.

"Texas is one of the most dynamic construction markets in America," said Patrick Cleary, Amrize’s Senior Vice President of US Cement and Supply Chain. "This investment strengthens our ability to partner with customers advancing critical infrastructure and commercial projects across the state. By expanding capacity and significantly improving efficiency, we are enhancing reliability, safety and service for the customers and communities we serve."

US: Cemex has been cleared to continue operating its cement plant east of Lyons, Colorado, in a reversal of a previous Boulder County decision. The plant was issued with a letter terminating its right to operate in April 2024, citing a traffic study that showed increased traffic had created a hazard and had expanded the use of the plant alongside a regional highway.

Boulder County Community Planning and Permitting Director Dale Case said at the time that Cemex was directed to stop operating because an expansion wasn't allowed under the county's land use rules. Cemex appealed the decision and was allowed to continue operating until a ruling was made on that appeal.

On 19 May 2026, Case said that Cemex had "provided satisfactory evidence that the termination determination was made in error. Specifically, the evidence shows that there was no significant increase in truck traffic to and from the property since the closure of the Dowe Flats Quarry, compared with 1994 traffic numbers.”

A press release said that the 2024 determination was based on the best information available to director Case at the time. Cemex had always argued that Boulder County should not have relied on the traffic study required by the Colorado Department of Transportation, saying that study didn't include historical traffic levels and that it used only a single day of recent data.

"The department's reliance on only one random day of data from the five decades the plant has been in operation is arbitrary and capricious, especially when viewed in light of the contrary conclusions reached after a more thorough historical evaluation," said Cemex in its response.

Peru: Unacem Group recorded consolidated revenues of US$524m during the first quarter of 2026, a 7.1% increase compared to the same period in 2025. The company said that this was primarily driven by the performance of cement operations in Peru and Ecuador, benefiting from higher volumes and better average prices, as well as by the contribution of its cement, concrete, and aggregates businesses in Chile.

Armenia: The Ararat Cement Plant will soon be taken into public ownership, according to the country’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in comments made ahead of Armenia’s parliamentary elections on 7 June 2026. The 0.9Mt/yr plant is owned by Gagik Tsarukyan, leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), the country’s largest opposition party.

The Prime Minister said that the nationalisation was in response to the ‘uncovering’ of what he called ‘mafia schemes’ operated by Tsarukyan’s son-in-law Karapet Guloyan, saying "Very soon, the business backbone of PAP leader Tsarukyan, the Ararat Cement Plant, will become state-owned and will belong to the Republic of Armenia, because the mafia scheme of Guloyan has been exposed.”

Pashinyan said that the government has already received a letter from the prosecutor's office stating that this property is subject to nationalisation. The authorities will shortly appoint a manager for Ararat Cement.

"I congratulate all the employees of the Ararat Cement Plant on their release,” said the Prime Minister. “From this moment on, they no longer need to follow any instructions from Tsarukyan or Guloyan, because their employer is now the Republic of Armenia.”

The move to nationalise Ararat Cement follows a similar situation with electricity distribution licences owned by Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA), which was taken into public hands in November 2025.