Pakistan: Cement dispatches increased by 5% year-on-year to 3.52Mt in August 2020 from 3.35Mt in August 2019. Domestic sales rose by 4.8% to 2.79Mt from 2.67Mt, while exports rose by 5.8% to 0.73Mt from 0.69Mt. Plants in northern Pakistan produced 2.49Mt of cement (52% of total production), while those in the South produced 2.35Mt (48%).

Algeria/Belarus: Belarus-based automobiles producer Belaz says that it has received an order for twelve dump trucks from Groupe des Ciments d'Algérie (GICA), Algeria’s leading cement producer with 13.5Mt/yr installed cement production capacity. Business World Magazine News has reported that the company will use the trucks for conveying raw materials in its Saoura quarry in Adrar Province. It previously bought twelve 60t-capacity Belaz-7555I trucks and nine front-loaders in mid-2020. The latest order is due for arrival in September 2020.

Belaz produces the 450t-capacity Belaz-75710, the largest-capacity dump truck in the world.

Egypt: HeidelbergCement subsidiary Egyptian Tourah Portland Cement recorded a second-quarter loss of Euro4.65m in 2020, down by 79% year-on-year from Euro21.9m in 2019. The company made sales worth Euro1.81m over the period, down by 81% Euro9.74m, according to Reuters. In line with its position regarding future losses at 31 December 2019, the company called a shareholder’s meeting to decide on its continuity.

India: Ramco Cement has increased its stake in Lynks Logistics to 69% following its acquisition of a 23% stake in the company for US$273,000. The group previously invested US$700 in a 46% stake on 27 January 2020.