India: JK Lakshmi Cement’s profit in the three-month period ending 31 June 2020, the first quarter of the Indian fiscal year, was US$5.93m, up by 13% year-on-year from US$5.26m in the three months to 31 June 2019. Sales fell by 20% to US$111m from US$140m due to the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak.

US: A container at the Jobe Materials concrete plant in El Paso, Texas exploded early on 9 August 2020, causing damage to communication wires at the plant. KVIA News has reported that there were no injuries, nor any damage to buildings, resulting from the explosion. Fire services are investigating the incident.

Fiji: Pacific Cement has been forced to suspend production at its 0.1Mt/yr-capacity integrated Lami cement plant in Rewa Province following the issue of a stop order by the Department of Environment on 7 August 2020. Truck drivers employed by the company say that they are losing US$300/day as a result, according to the Fiji Times newspaper.

The Lami cement plant previously suspended operations subject to a stop order from the Department of Environment due to complaints about dust emissions on 7 December 2018.

China: Asia Cement China’s revenue dropped by 29% year-on-year to US$620m in the first half of 2020 from US$868m in the same period in 2019. Its cement and clinker sales volumes fell by 24.4% to 11.1Mt from 14.74Mt. Its profit for the period declined by 41% to US$131m from US$223m. The group said that in the central and downstream region of the Yangtze River the market peaked in May 2020 following coronavirus-related disruption. However, flooding then reduced demand. In Sichuan, coronavirus and foreign imports reduced the price of cement in the first quarter of 2020.