Serbia: The government has adopted a six-month measure to limit imports of Portland cement and certain steel products in an effort to stabilise ‘strategically important’ industries. The regulation will be in force from 1 January to 30 June 2026, and introduces a tariff quota system to support domestic producers and balance market conditions. Under the new framework, imports of these goods will be allowed duty-free up to a certain quota. Once the quota is filled, any additional imports will be subject to a 50% customs duty. For cement, the total quota volume has been set at approximately 250,350t – the largest share of all five product categories.

Quota allocations are based on historical import shares from the past five years and are divided by country or customs territory, with the largest shares going to the EU, Türkiye, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and other regional partners. Quotas are further split into quarterly limits, with unused quota from the first quarter allowed to roll over into the next.

The Customs Administration will manage quota distribution on a first-come, first-served basis and will report monthly to the Ministry of Internal and Foreign Trade. The policy will be reviewed at the end of June 2026.

France: Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies said that it achieved record production volumes of its low-carbon cement in 2025. The company produced 50,700t of its 0% clinker cement, representing a threefold increase from the 16,269t produced in 2024. The company has set its sights on doubling this output in 2026, targeting 100,000t. This increase will be driven by a growing customer base and access to new construction projects, supported by recent certifications obtained in France and internationally.

Portugal: Cimpor has now deployed private 5G networks at its Alhandra, Loulé and Souselas cement plants through a partnership with Vodafone Portugal and Ericsson. The move equips each site with reliable, low-latency connectivity designed to support connected systems such as IoT sensors and autonomous vehicles for improved efficiency and safety. The producer previously signed the 10-year extendable contract with Vodafone in October 2024.

The technology supports applications such as drone inspections, smart and VR glasses for remote assistance and training, sensors for predictive maintenance, video cameras for safety monitoring, real-time data management via worker tablets and AI functionalities. Cimpor expects to save up to US$1m/yr per plant by reducing unplanned failures and production interruptions. It said it has observed an approximate efficiency increase of around 1%, equivalent to US$10-15m in annual economic benefits.

Peru: National cement shipments reached 1.17Mt in November 2025, an increase of 11% compared to November 2024 and 6% higher over the 12-month period, according to ASOCEM. Cement production reached 1.08Mt in November 2025, up by 13% year-on-year, while clinker output rose by 25% year-on-year to 0.77Mt. However, accumulated clinker production over the past 12 months was down by 2%.

Cement exports fell slightly to 12,700t, a 3% decrease compared to November 2024, but grew by 7% over the accumulated 12 months. In contrast, clinker exports increased by 52% to 109,200t in November 2025, bringing the 12-month increase to 29%. Cement imports dropped by 88% year-on-year to 8100t in November 2025, despite an 80% rise over the past 12 months. Clinker imports also fell by 40% year-on-year to 84,800t in November 2025, though they remain 38% higher in the yearly comparison. All clinker imports entered through the Port of Callao, sourced from South Korea (50%) and Ecuador (50%).