UK cement production has dropped to its lowest level since 1950, according to new figures from the Mineral Products Association (MPA), raising serious concerns about the future of domestic construction supply chains and major infrastructure projects.
In 2024, UK cement output fell to just 7.3Mt, half the volume produced in 1990. This sharp decline comes amid soaring energy prices, rising regulatory burdens, and intense international competition, leaving British manufacturers struggling to stay afloat.
The MPA warns that this production slump could jeopardise Labour’s ambitious plans to deliver new homes, schools, transport links, and clean energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, ready-mix concrete sales have also hit historic lows in the 2Q25, highlighting wider pressures across the construction materials sector.
Cement imports have surged in response to falling domestic output, rising from 12 per cent of all UK sales in 2008 to 32 per cent in 2024. Manufacturers argue that uneven carbon taxation puts them at a disadvantage. Importers, especially from outside the EU, don’t face the same emissions-related costs.
Dr Diana Casey, executive director for cement and lime at the MPA, urged the government to prioritise UK-made materials and support a fairer trading environment. “The UK must decide whether to back homegrown industry, or send investment and jobs overseas,” she said.
