Southern Indian producers start shipments to Myanmar

Cement producers in southern India have begun exporting to Myanmar in a bid to boost utilisation rates as regional domestic demand remains subdued.

According to reports by The Times of India, Chettinad Cements, India Cements, Dalmia Cements and Ramco Cement have started shipments to Myanmar in the past few months.

Dalmia Cements began exporting cement last month with volumes amounting to 10,000-12,000t. Ramco Cements, meanwhile, has shipped around 40,000t cement from Karaikal Port, which is near its Alathiyur plant in northern Tamil Nadu.

Vipin Agarwal, CEO of Dalmia Cements told the newspaper that with cement demand continuing to fall in the southern Indian market – notably in the main markets of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh – regional producers are now operating at 55 per cent capacity utilisation levels. Exports to Sri Lanka have also started as producers look to benefit from building activity related to post-civil war reconstruction efforts.