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Speakers at Fastmarkets MB’s Middle East Iron and Steel event stressed the urgency of shielding local steelmakers from the knock-on effects of the United States’ Section 232 tariffs although over the longer term GCC industries must find ways to become more competitive.
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Demand from the residential housing end markets increased almost 15% in the quarter as a number of southern US states continue to drive the recovery in the construction sector.
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Demand for flat glass and construction materials continued to rise in the first half of the year, as the several acquisitions carried out by the company over the past year led to positive group effect and injected extra turnover.
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The French industrial minerals group has received clearance from European authorities over the proposed takeover of the speciality cement maker Kerneos.
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Robert Beekhuizen is to head the company’s management team and will replace interim CEO Don Paulencu.
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Higher demand for aggregates was seen in southern US states, as sales of cement and building materials were supported by the strengthening of construction and infrastructure across the country – a driver that the company believes will persist in the coming months.
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The company saw improvement in sales in all geographical areas and divisions, and expects further growth in construction in emerging and developed markets during 2017.
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The construction sector stabilised in France after years of decline but, while both Europe and North America posted improvement, it was in Asia and emerging markets where the highest organic growth was seen.
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Douglas Dietrich will take the reins at MTI following the death of Joseph Muscari in September.
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Some key end markets such as oil and gas and steelmaking remained sluggish and affected overall sales, but the company saw improvement in earnings in Q3.
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Shipments of aggregates and heavy building materials to residential markets in the US saw further increases in Q3. The company remains bullish as infrastructure and non-residential end markets are expected to record higher activity into next year.
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Imerys’ executives believe the most challenging phases in the market have now passed, as the company posts positive results and bets on the recent SPAR acquisition and the positive progress of the Alteo takeover to revamp its refractory and foundry operations.
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The positive injection of revenues from strategic acquisitions carried out in 2015 has been key for Imerys’ finances, as the company recorded improvement in both revenues and margins in the nine months of 2016. The refractory divisions remain weak, as the Alteo merger is hoped to be concluded by year-end.
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Slow business in the steel industries in Europe, China and Latin America led to lower revenues for the German refractory manufacturer in H1 as cement, glass and energy also saw some decline.
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The diversified industrials producer saw sales in its energy services segment fall dramatically in Q2, extending the trend seen in Q1, as other segments remained static. PCC sales fell slightly as a result of US closures while refractories saw a productivity boost.
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The acquisition of two companies in eastern Europe and one in Brazil strengthens Saint-Gobain’s presence in strategic local markets, particularly in Latin America.
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India's IFGL Refractories Ltd, the specialised refractories producer, today released its FY2015 results, which demonstrate the impact of the steel slowdown.
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RHI Q1 results show that the group has moved to optimise its operations. It is buying cheap magnesia on the Chinese market and using its own, higher-quality product for its own steel output. The results also highlight the falling prices in refractory raw materials an the impact of a sluggish steel market.
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German machinery manufacturer Loesche Gmbh has secured a contract to supply Vietnamese producer Than Than Group Cement JSC with new equipment for its main plant.
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Thyssenkrupp AG has closed a deal to supply German cement manufacturer HeildelbergCement AG with a high-efficiency cement clinker production line for an undisclosed sum.
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First quarter figure released by the World Steel Association shows that steelmaking is still on the slide, which is bad news for the global refractories industry, although the erosion in production steadied towards the end of the three month period.
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Chinese refractory operators are paying greater attention to the quality profile of products manufactured in the country, while investments are taking place to take production profile up a notch.
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The company said little about its speciality magnesia arm, which was one of its worst performing divisions last year thanks to softness in the steel sector, while broader strong economic activity in the US bolstered its aggregates businesses.
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The Swiss firm’s CEO was reluctant to speculate on possible repercussions should the merger proceed, however any definitive outcome is unlikely for another two years as the case makes its way through the Swiss courts.
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Roman concrete is one of the most durable materials invented by humans, but for Sunrise resources, the advantage today lies mostly in the low environmental cost of its utilisation, compared to modern Portland cement.
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To target waste production, increase recycling and preserve natural resources, the EC has published a number of legislative proposals which will affect industrial mineral-consuming industries such as glass and plastics.
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The new Indian mining laws of 2015 have resulted in a blockage with regards to the transfer of non-auctioned mining rights, at least two limestone-consuming cement companies have found.
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A shortage of minerals essential in infrastructure development has led India’s government to investigate offshore mineral deposits. 80 blocks have already been targeted in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
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According to a report from Lux Research, although fracking activity – which uses a large amount of water – has declined, the industry still presents ample opportunity for water management companies willing to come up with new solutions. Among the minerals used in water treatment that could benefit from this are alumina, magnesium hydroxide and lime.
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Bad weather in in H1 2015 has weighed on US Lime and Minerals’ profits, however the company expects demand to return in the second half of the year.
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A weak euro, strong US dollar and a robust steel division contributed to the Austrian refractories producer’s positive H1 results. However, RHI is worried about overcapacity in the Chinese steel industry and labelled its export strategy aggressive. This is leading to high pressure on steel prices and has driven the firm to adjust its outlook for the second half of 2015.
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The Canadian diversified resources company has noted excitement over a local LNG project, which it may hope will be viewed in association with the limestone project as a potential source of cement.
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The merger between two major players in cement comes in the midst of a number of consolidation efforts in the construction industry. The trend is likely to be bad news for raw material producers.
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Despite being close to a number of large infrastructure projects, which require limestone for cement production, RioSol appears unwilling to develop the project alone. With international mining finance markets in a poor state, a large-scale development such as Montana Gael will be difficult to fund.
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The minerals industry is used to taking its cues from other business areas when it comes to innovative transport solutions. But although mineral logistics have benefitted from this copy-cat approach, increasing demands from its customers mean that it may soon have to take the lead and come up with its own technologies, Bruce McMichael, IM Logistics Correspondent, writes.
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Considered a non-core complementary asset to the SCONI scandium project, Metallica has now sold its Ootann limestone assets and permits to an unnamed private bidder.
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The US magnesia producer has reported its first quarter profit for the first time since 2008, helped by record sales and “significant contributions” from its magnesia specialities business.
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Tough economic conditions have plagued the glass industry over the past few years, leading to a significant decrease in production. It is hoped that new EU-wide policies will drive the market forward, saving jobs and providing demand for glass minerals such as soda ash, silica sand and feldspar.
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Tentative olive branches between the US and Cuba could open its mineral resource up for international investments. Kaolin, lime, feldspar, bentonite, zeolite, and gypsum are all present in the geology of the country for those brave enough to take on the regime.
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Rio Tuba Nickel Mining will supply the limestone required by the new facility due to open in on 25 March. The plant could supply up to 45% of the Philippines’ industrial lime demand.
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The divestment concludes FLSmidth’s divestment of building material companies and will allow the technology firm to focus on its core assets, particularly at a time when mining capex is expected to be low for at least the next year.
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Hike cements US-wide increase in limestone mineral cost
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Mississippi Lime is looking to become the main supplier of low-cost lime and limestone products in US, a market that is slowly recovering from the recent global recession.
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Steel consumption has remained on an upwards trajectory — just. The levels produced are below those expected and there is a marked difference from Asia's rate of growth as well as the CIS levels in 2014.
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The latest meeting, held at local government level, forms part of a wider initiative to revitalise and consolidate China’s refractory industry. For now, no parameters or fines have been set for the 65 companies who were in attendance at the meeting, but it is unlikely that a levy for noncompliance won’t be issued.
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The strategic agreement is the first such agreement in China between a refractories company and a steel and iron producer, which may be the start of a more integrated industry pattern. It also shows the effort individual companies are making to implement the government’s plans to reform the refractories industry in China.
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The latest round of inspections show that officials mean to work fast on their pledge to clean up the refractories industry in Zibo city, Shandong Province. This policy has already led to the shutdown of 43 companies and it remains to be seen whether more will follow.
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The comments by China’s leading refractory association confirm what has been suspected for a while – that the country’s refractories industry is struggling to maintain traction in a bearish market. Further, it underlines what the possible impact of the government actions to modernise the industry could be. However, the forecast is not one which has been supported by other analysts, which broadly believe Chinese refractory demand will grow
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The fresh set of rules shows how far the government is willing to go to rejuvenate the Chinese refractories industry. The new standard conditions could be regarded as disruptive, as they seek to completely change working practices in China. In the long run however, the impetus to build a sustainable and competitive refractories industry is clear.
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Holcim has completed a series of consolidative transactions for its European business arms with Cemex. By focusing on their respective key markets, both companies will hope to increase construction demand and the consumption of construction minerals.
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