US to announce decision on cement imports

The US Department of Commerce (DOC) will announce on January 12 a decision on its review of the import tariffs it applies to Mexican cement, newspaper El Norte reported.  "There have been a lot of conversations between the governments and in several cases with the participation of the industry, including GCC [Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua]," the cement firm’s CEO Manuel Milán Reyes said in a conference call.  "We have never been as close to a solution as we are now. Dumping looks more like it will be resolved than not," added the executive. 
 
The reason behind the possibility of a solution to the dumping problem between the two countries "is because the US is more interested in solving the issue, more even than the Mexicans," Milán said.
 
The governments of the US states affected by hurricanes last year and construction firms in the country have been applying pressure to authorities to allow more imports from Mexico. 
 
Reports suggest that the DOC intends to apply a 3M-4Mt import quota for Mexican cement, which would be free from tariffs, while the reduced tariffs would be applied to further imports. 

GCC buys Four US concrete companies  DAILY
Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua (GCC) has bought four ready-mix concrete companies in the USA for an undisclosed sum, GCC said on January 5, 2006.  GCC bought Consolidated Ready Mix, Henrich and Sons, Huron Steel Structures and B&B Concrete, which annually generate $30m in sales. The four companies have 14 ready-mix plants and a fleet of 100 trucks.
 
The purchase deal consolidated GCC’s leadership position on the cement market in South Dakota and nearby regions, northern USA. Thus the company will take advantage of the growing concrete demand.  Under the purchase deal the four US companies will operate under the name Consolidated Ready Mix, which will be a 100 per cent subsidiary of GCC.