India: Shree Cement recorded a 20% year-on-year rise in its consolidated sales to US$1.55bn in the first nine months of the 2023 financial year, from US$1.29bn in the first nine months of the 2022 financial year. The group's total expenditure rose by 36% to US$1.29bn from US$952m. Thus, Shree Cement recorded a 56% drop in net profit, to US$90.1m from US$203m.

Japan: Sumitomo Osaka Cement recorded sales of US$1.15bn during the first nine months of the 2023 financial year. The figure corresponds to an increase of 9.9% year-on-year from nine-month 2022 financial year levels. The producer made a loss of US$13m, compared to profit of US$63.3m in the corresponding period of the 2022 financial year.

Japan: Taiheiyo Cement recorded a net loss of US$135m during the first nine months of its 2023 financial year, compared to a net profit of US$226m during the first nine months of the 2022 financial year. Nikkei Financial News has reported that the group lowered its financial forecast for the full 2023 financial year accordingly. Taiheiyo Cement now expects to record a loss of US$199m, compared to a US$221m profit in the 2022 financial year. The producer previously revised its earnings and profit forecasts downward following its first-half 2023 financial year results on 10 November 2022.

During the first nine months of the 2023 financial year, Taiheiyo Cement recorded sales of US$4.58bn, up by 14% year-on-year. The producer said that new US acquisitions during the year so far helped it to increase its cement volumes in that market.

Pakistan: A court has ordered a report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) into alleged breaches of emissions rules at Kohat Cement's Kohat Cement plant in Babri Banda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Dawn newspaper has reported that alleged dust and chemical emissions from the plant have contributed to a local rise in cases of cancer, asthma and lung diseases, according to complainants.

Residents have filed a petition for contempt proceedings against the EPA and Kohat Cement, as well as local and provincial government authorities. The court previously ordered the EPA to monitor Kohat Cement's emissions in 2018. At that time, it also instructed Kohat Cement to operate its electrostatic precipitators system at all times that cement is being produced. Local residents claim that the plant has continually failed to operate the system.