North Korea: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for ‘all-out’ efforts to boost cement production during a visit to the Sangwon Cement Complex in North Hwanghae Province on Monday 1 March 2026, according to state media. The visit followed the conclusion of the ninth congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea, which outlined policy goals for the next five years.

Jong-un said "The complex has since exceeded the peak-year level on an annual basis, helping us move forward step by step with greater confidence and opening up possibilities to successfully carry out huge projects. Let us make an all-out effort again for the good of our great country and advance forward vigorously.”

The plant has a production capacity of 2Mt/yr and has supplied cement for large-scale construction schemes in North Korea, including efforts to build 50,000 flats in Pyongyang. The inspection marked Kim’s first visit to an industrial site since the party congress, at which he announced that more construction projects would be carried out nationwide.

Kim Jong Un was reported by local press as giving instructions with a 'relaxed demeanour and expression' and smoking a cigarette.

Pakistan: Cement despatches increased by 13% in February 2026, reaching 4.20Mt compared with 3.73Mt in February 2025, according to data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association. Local cement despatches during February 2026 were 3.47Mt compared to 3.20Mt in February 2025, reflecting an increase of 8% year-on-year. Exports rose by 38%, with volumes increasing from 0.53Mt to 0.73Mt. During the first eight months of the current financial year, total cement despatches reached 34.8Mt, up by 11% year-on-year.

Brazil: Cement sales were 5.30Mt in January 2026, up by 1% year-on-year and 8% higher than in December 2025, according to preliminary industry data from SNIC. Average daily sales reached 0.22Mt, representing a 3% increase compared with January 2025. Consumption was affected by heavy rainfall in the South and Southeast regions. The sector was supported by a strong labour market, with unemployment at 5% (the lowest level since 2012) and average income rising from US$651 to US$688. Construction confidence reached its highest level since March 2025, driven by infrastructure investment, record activity under the Minha Casa, Minha Vida housing programme and new financing rules.

However, the industry continues to face challenges, including the Selic interest rate at 15%, high household indebtedness and a labour shortage in construction. Despite these pressures, the outlook for 2026 remains ‘resilient’, supported by expectations of lower interest rates, moderating inflation and continued infrastructure and housing investment.

Paulo Camillo Penna, president of SNIC, said the sector had started the year with improved confidence but noted that high interest rates remain a constraint on mortgage lending and consumption.

“We started 2026 with the construction industry's confidence at its best point in the last 10 months. The resilient job market and rising incomes form a solid base, but we still face the challenge of interest rates at 15%, which penalise medium and high-end mortgage lending and household consumption. Our expectation rests on the start of the Selic interest rate cut cycle scheduled for March 2026 and the continuation of investments in infrastructure and the Minha Casa, Minha Vida program, which remain major drivers of cement consumption in the country. Inflation converging towards the target and a more stable exchange rate could also become important allies for the sector in the coming months," said Paulo Camillo Penna, president of SNIC.

Mexico: Mexico-based design studio MANUFACTURA has developed a bio-based construction material, Corncretl, which it says can reduce emissions by up to 70% compared with conventional Portland cement. The material replaces clinker-based cement with lime-based binders that harden at room temperature and require lower calcination temperatures during production. As a result, the process reduces energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. Corncretl combines limestone aggregates, dried corn residues and recycled nejayote, a calcium-rich byproduct of corn processing. The use of agricultural waste forms part of a circular material strategy aimed at lowering embodied carbon and reducing landfill volumes. The studio said the material maintains mechanical performance suitable for additive manufacturing and reported that it offers humidity regulation and self-healing properties typical of lime-based systems.

MANUFACTURA tested the material using a WASP Concrete HD Continuous Feeding System with a KUKA robotic arm to assess printability and controlled deposition. For its first 3D-printed prototype, MANUFACTURA sourced the waste through collaborations in Europe, collecting residual material in Berlin and then transporting it to Italy for processing. A full-scale 3D-printed prototype was later installed at the Shamballa open-air laboratory in northern Italy to evaluate structural feasibility and assess material behaviour under real-world conditions.