Gabon: Data from the Directorate General of Economy and Tax Policy shows that national cement production rise by 10.6% year-on-year to 0.54Mt in 2019. The improving trend has been attributed to better use of existing manufacturing equipment and the resumption of activity at the CimGabon plant in Ntoum, according to the L’Union newspaper. Clinker imports also grew, by 14.6% to 0.44Mt. Overall cement sales increased by 8.5% to 0.53Mt.

India: Tata Chemicals has resumed full production of salt and sodium bicarbonate at its Mithapur site in Gujarat. It said that production levels have been matched to market demand for soda ash and cement. The 1500t/day integrated cement plant at the industrial complex manufactures two varieties of cement under the brand name Tata Shudh. Tata Chemicals has also resumed the operations at its chemical plants at Mambattu-Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu and Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu). Operations at the company’s various production sites were scaled down in late march 2020 in response to the Indian coronavirus lockdown.

Morocco: Ciments du Maroc has completed its acquisition of Atlantic Ciment and Cimsud from the Anouar Invest Group following an agreement originally signed in July 2019. The subsidiary of HeidelbergCement now owns 100% of the capital of the companies. Atlantic Ciment is building an integrated cement production plant in the province of Settat and Cimsud operates a grinding unit in Laâyoune with a capacity of 0.5Mt/yr. The cement producer said that the acquisition was part of its strategy to develop its cement, aggregates, and ready-mix concrete activities in Morocco.

Vietnam: Data from the General Department of Vietnam Customs shows that cement exports fell by 9.7% year-on-year to 7.73Mt in the first quarter of 2020. The value of these exports declined by 17.4% to US$301m, according to the Viet Nam News newspaper. Exports to China dropped by 5.4% to 2.73Mt, exports to the Philippines dropped by 27.5% to 1.47Mt, exports to Bangladesh dropped by 5.5% to 1.34Mt and exports to Taiwan dropped by 7% to 0.46Mt.