Cement News tagged: Trading
Indonesian cement exports contract but clinker exports expand
Cement exports from Indonesia saw a 12.2 per cent YoY drop to 90,401t in September 2024 from 103,002t in the equivalent period of 2023. However, a two per cent growth in clinker exports to 753,075t in September 2024 from 737,968t in September 2023 was reported. January-September 2024 In the January-September 2024 period, Indonesia exported 8.5Mt of cement and clinker, up four per cent when...
New EU Commission continues green focus – market testing to major support levels, driven down by energy complex
The newly appointed EU Commission has a greener focus but also prioritises EU competitiveness. The Danish Commissioner for Energy and Housing could focus on energy savings in buildings, which would be a positive for the concrete value chain. Meanwhile, speculators have left the long-term market as several projects have been put on hold due to lower EUA prices. In addition, September was the co...
OPEC+ struggles to support oil as petcoke offers tempting discounts
In a market dominated by geopolitical news from the Middle East (Israel–Hezbollah–Gaza) and a new nuclear doctrine from Russia, which puts the next steps in the war in Ukraine in a new perspective, the energy complex has been resilient and moved lower. However, the US Federal Reserve’s interest rate cut of 0.5 per cent following the 0.25 per cent one by the European Central Bank eased the ...
State Bank of Pakistan reveals a rise in cement exports in FY23-24
State Bank of Pakistan, the country’s central bank, released its state of economy 2023-24 on 17 October 2024. The annual report included the cement industry in Pakistan. It stated that cement production declined by 4.5 per cent in FY23-24, significantly lower than 13.7 per cent in FY22-23. The decline was largely due to a fall in domestic cement dispatches, which could be associated with risin...
Taiheiyo Cement plans Indonesian exports to US
Taiheiyo Cement plans to export up to 1Mta of cement to the USA from Indonesia by expanding capacity in the southeast Asian country. It also wants to capture infrastructure-related demand on Southeast Asia by increasing production capacity in the Philippines. The initiative follows the company’s decision to look to other markets after exiting China in 2023. The company has already added e...
Pakistan cement exports surged in September
All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) released local and overseas dispatch data for September and July – September on 3 October. The data reflects that Pakistan cement producers continued to experience headwinds in local sales, but exports remained beneficial. Cement dispatches declined by 5.63 per cent in September 2024 to 3.54Mt, compared to 3.751Mt dispatched during the p...
Discounts high as petcoke slides
Oil prices recovered to US$74.50/bbl from US$70 on 20 September 2024, supported by OPEC+ and the US Federal Reserve’s interest rate cut. Coal fell on lower oil prices while gas remained in the US$105-120 range. Meanwhile, petcoke was under pressure from China’s potential ban and as petcoke slides, discounts are very high. On 20 September 2024 the discount for 6.5 per cent sulphur petcoke FO...
Jamaica’s cement shortage ends
Jamaica’s cement shortage has ended. According to the minister for Investment and Commerce in Jamaica, Senator Aubyn Hill, the Caribbean Cement Co Ltd (CCCL) has assured him that adequate supplies of cement are now available to consumers. In a ministerial statement to members of the Upper House, Hill said the company told him on that enough cement was on the market for players in the constru...
GICA to raise exports to 10Mta
Algeria's Groupe Industriel des Ciments d'Algérie ( GICA ) is setting ambitious targets to elevate its export capacity to 10Mt in the coming years, according to Dzair Tube. This initiative aligns with Algeria’s national strategy to diversify revenue sources beyond the hydrocarbon sector, reflecting the country’s broader economic vision for sustainable growth. The Ain Touta cement complex ,...
Kyrgyzstan lawmaker urges government to lift ban on Uzbek imports
A Kyrgyz lawmaker has called for the removal of the country’s ban on importing cement from Uzbekistan, highlighting the potential benefits for consumers and the local construction industry. Speaking at the parliamentary fuel and energy complex committee on September 24, MP Alisher Kozuyev argued that the ban is fostering local monopolies and driving up cement prices domestically. He noted tha...
SCIMAT exports 60,000t of clinker in YtD
Société des cements d'Ain Touta (SCIMAT), part of Group Industriel des Ciments d'Algérie (GICA), has exported 60,000t of clinker since the start of 2024, according to Maamar Bahloul, the company's CEO. The majority of the clinker shipments were delivered to Tunisia. Last year, the company exported 260,000t of clinker. SCIMAT intends to increase its exports, both in existing markets and new o...
Carbon price sees sharp falls, testing major support
The EUA price has been steadily falling in alignment with the lower energy complex. A rally towards EUR74 in mid-August, talking the market back in the long-term uptrend, was punctured as first oil then gas, and coal began drifting lower. Several hedge funds have also reduced long positions as the tone for green markets turned a slightly bearish as several P2X and hydrogen projects were delaye...
Energy Index driven lower by oil – petcoke below US$60 with high discount offer
By Frank O. Brannvoll, Brannvoll ApS, Denmark Geopolitics still dominate the markets. Financial markets expect the US Federal Reserve to deliver a 0.25 per cent cut in mid-September and a further 0.25 per cent before the US presidential elections. This could be followed by the European Central Bank and seen as the trend for 2025. The focus remains on inflation, which now is falling in both ...
Pakistan's cement export volume rose amid lesser revenue in 2MFY24-25
Pakistan’s cement and clinker exports dropped by 16.9 per cent in the first two months of the current financial year 2024-25 to US$36.70m (992,026t) from US$39.64m (981,400t) in the same period of the previous year, as reported by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). In Pakistani rupee terms, export revenue saw a double-digit fall of 10.7 per cent to PKR10.22bn (US$37.6m). However, export ...
China to include cement in national carbon trading
China has announced its draft plan to expand the country’s carbon trading market by including cement as well as electrolytic aluminium and steel, seeking public feedback. The draft plan is a significant step in expanding the world’s largest carbon trading market as it currently only covers coal-fired power generation. It would increase the market’s coverage to ~60 per cent of the country’s to...
Sri Lanka slash duty on cement import
To facilitate uninterrupted imported cement and boost the construction industry, the Sri Lankan government announced that the cess imposed on imported cement was reduced by INR1 (US$0.01)/kg to extend relief to the construction industry. This levy reduction was in effect from 6 September, as notified by the Finance Ministry through local media. Specifically, the tax on artificially-coloure...