Costa Rica: Cemex has taken legal action to query a local 5% tax on the sale of cement in the provinces of Cartago, San José and Guanacaste. The issue is commercially relevant because its competitor Cementos Fortaleza operates a grinding plant at Salinas Esparza in Puntarenas where the tax is not liable, according to Diario Extra magazine. Cementos Fortaleza opened its unit in 2018. Cemex operates an integrated and a grinding plant in the country.
Oleg Deripaska changes ownership structure of Serebryansky Cement Plant
Russia: Oligarch Oleg Deripaska has moved the ownership of BaselCement’s Serebryansky Cement Plant by MKAO Fenestraria Consultants from Cyprus to Kaliningrad, Russia. Companies associated with Deripaska underwent redomiciling procedures in May 2019, according to Interfax. The change follows the creation of Russian special administrative regions in 2018 to encourage companies to relocate domestically in response to international sanctions.
Argentine half year cement sales fall by 6.4% to 5.51Mt
Argentina: Cement sales fell by 6.4% year-on-year to 5.51Mt in the first half of 2019 from 5.89Mt in the same period in 2018, according to data from AFCP. This trend was driven by a fall in local sales. Local sales fell by 6.6% to 5.46Mt but exports rose by 28% to nearly 50,000t.
Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies signs deal with Bouygues Construction to develop low carbon concrete
France: Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies and Bouygues Construction have signed a 30-month initial technical and commercial collaboration agreement to develop and test concrete formulations using new cement made from Hoffmann’s H-EVA technology. Hoffmann Green Cement inaugurated its pilot plant at Bournezeau, Vendée in late 2018. The unit will manufacture cement products using flash-calcined metakaolin and blast-furnace slag. Bouygues Construction is a global construction company with a presence in over 60 countries.
