India: Aditya Birla subsidiary Grasim Industries recorded a loss of US$36.0m in the first-quarter of the 2021 financial year (1 April 2020 – 30 June 2020), compared to US$26.9m profit in the first quarter of the 2020 financial year. The company attributed this to a 61% year-on-year fall in sales to US$260m from US$668m due to ‘lower realisation and weak demand’ during coronavirus lockdown. Consolidated cement sales over the period were US$228m, down by 29% year-on-year from US$320m.

China: China Tianrui Group Cement says that it has secured a loan worth US$14.4m. Reuters has reported that a Chinese bank granted the loan, which will support capital expenditure projects in the current fiscal year.

Uzbekistan: Uzbekqurilishmateriallari deputy chair Ulugbek Abrayev has said that Uzbek cement production capacity will total 20.0Mt/yr before 1 January 2021, up by 60% year-on-year from 12.5Mt at the start of 2020. Abrayev added that, due to growing demand, Uzbekistan will produce 14.5Mt in 2021, corresponding to 73% utilisation of projected capacity. A total of ten cement plant projects across eight of the country’s 12 regions are due for completion in 2020 and 2021.

US: Mexico-based Cemex supplied 15,000t of cement to the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, for the construction of a 3770m runway and taxiway by McCarthy Improvement Company. Replacing an existing runway, the new runway is the longest at Hartsfield-Jackson, the world’s busiest airport.

Cemex USA president Jaime Muguiro said, “Infrastructure in the US needs improvements and updates so that Americans can remain connected and get where they need to go quickly, safely and efficiently. At Cemex, we are proud to securely support essential infrastructure projects that help achieve those goals and provide products that will enhance the experiences of travellers for years to come.”