17th Asia CemenTrade Summit

The Philippines cement market is booming, given the surge in construction activities. The country’s  cement sales grew by 9.6% in the first quarter from a year ago, according to the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CeMAP). The cement demand is attributed to an increased government spending on infrastructure projects as well as private sector’s construction activities to meet demand for homes and offices. India, the second biggest cement industry after China, has reported surplus capacity. Over 110 million tons of cement capacity is unutilised in the country. The demand for cement has been low for some time with analysts expecting some recovery later this year. North India’s cement market is the worst hit with prices falling to around 35% below their southern counterparts. The new government in India is expected to revive the cement industry. Siam Cement Group (SCG) has begun construction of Khammouane cement plant, its first cement plant in Laos. The plant is expected to start production in the first quarter of 2017, with an operating capacity of 1.8Mta. SCG intends to tap the growing demand for cement in Laos, especially for dam construction.