International Cement Review articles tagged under : Market Reports
Colombia: market in transition
Following a poor performance in recent years, the Colombian cement sector seems to be on the cusp of a new era. Although the impact of the coronavirus pandemic is yet to be understood, a steady pipeline of construction projects over the next few years should support rising cement prices and a positive cement demand forecast, argues Bancolombia. By Jairo Julian Aquedelo Restrepo, Bancolombia, C...
Business as unusual
The global coronavirus pandemic has presented the cement and other economic sectors with considerable challenges. Benjamin Sporton, CEO of the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), shares his thoughts. By Be...
Nordic cement’s green shoots
The Nordic cement industry is a relatively small player in Europe. Still, its plants are some of the most advanced in the world and are pioneering projects for alternative fuels and carbon capture and storage. The re...
Russia picks up the pace
Following a stagnation of the Russian cement market in recent years, domestic cement producers are expected to see moderate growth in demand in 2020. However, as the government ramps up its national construction proj...
Betting on better times
Deeply hurt by the Great Recession once high-flying California, Arizona and Nevada cement markets are still cruising at relatively-low altitudes. Can these Southwest US cement markets return to past vitality and even...
US growth settles down
While the US economic cycle is expected to reach maturity in 2020-21, its construction market is forecast to remain relatively robust. As a result, the Portland Cement Association (PCA) forecasts modest growth for th...
China: outward bound
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is now an integral part of the country’s overseas expansion policy. Since its inception in 2013, the BRI has been one of the essential vehicles driving the global spread of Chin...
US growth settles down
While the US economic cycle is expected to reach maturity in 2020-21, its construction market is forecast to remain relatively robust. As a result, the Portland Cement Association (PCA) forecasts modest growth for th...
Uzbekistan: time to celebrate?
Following a dramatic rise in construction activity, the Uzbek cement industry has seen local sales surge. To meet this increasing demand, existing producers are expanding their production facilities and the booming m...
China’s cautious confidence
With most provinces reporting a growth in cement output, Chinese cement companies enjoyed a bountiful year in 2019, supported by stronger peak-season demand and stable, high prices. For 2020 industry sentiment is one...
GCC: a return of fortunes?
The performance of the GCC cement sector improved significantly in 2019 when compared with the previous year as higher domestic consumption combined with increased export demand. For 2020, the outlook remains equally...
North Africa in focus
North Africa is experiencing a turbulent political and economic period. Meanwhile the region seeks to increase the pace of development with cement consumption reaching 100Mt in 2018. Domestically, surplus capacity ha...
State of the industry
World cement markets contracted in 2017-18 but picked up last year, according to The Global Cement Report™, 13th Edition. New capacity is seen pushing worldwide utilisation rates down, while cement and clinker trade ...
Argentina remains optimistic
Argentina is facing more economic woes as inflation, interest rates, unemployment and the poverty rate continue to climb. But given the pressing need for both housing and infrastructure, its cement producers continu...
The port cost factor
Spanish state-owned company Puertos del Estado, which heads 28 port authorities and 46 commercial ports in the country, published a study in July 2019 comparing port costs in Spain and other Mediterranean countries f...
Closing in on Canada’s carbon
Canada has a well-established cement market and is home to several leading multinationals who dominate the sector. The main concerns of the industry are becoming more focussed on stricter environmental compliance wit...