China: CNBM and France’s Fives have signed a cooperation agreement related to the Paris Agreement regarding climate change and the modernisation of CNBM’s plants. CNBM was represented by both Ma Mingliang, vice-president of China Building Materials Engineering Group and Wang Kedong, chief executive officer’s (CEO) assistant of Zhonglian Cement, and Fives was represented by Didier Bourbon, Sales Vice-President (Asia) of Fives FCB. This agreement includes the supply of the FCB Horomill grinding technology developed by Fives FCB for both CNBM’s overseas projects and domestic projects such as Zhonglian Cement and Southwest Cement projects. The signing ceremony took place at the 7th Sino-French Industrial Cooperation Forum held in Chongqing. The agreement follows a similar deal struck in April 2019 in Paris.

Oman: Raysut Cement’s revenue fell by 5% year-on-year to US$108m in the first half of 2019 from US$114m in the same period in 2018. Its profit after tax dropped by 27% to US$1.3m from US$1.8m.

France: The Ministry of Culture has refused a sponsorship of Euro0.2m from Lafarge intended for the Musée de Cluny in Paris. The ministry said that the sponsorship was paid in 2015 and then returned in 2018, according to the Agence France Presse. However, the ministry did not say why the money has been rejected. In 2017 the Paris City Council ended a partnership with Lafarge for the supply of sand for an urban beach project due to allegations of the building material manufacturer’s conduct in Syria during the civil war. A legal case examining Lafarge’s conduct in Syria between 2011 and 2014 is on-going.

Egypt: Suez Cement’s consolidated profit rose by 82% year-on-year to US$12.8m in the first quarter of 2019 from US$7.04m in the same period in 2018. However, its revenue fell by 14% to US$109m from US$127m. Its standalone business reported both a loss and falling sales.