How Will the Ukraine War Affect the Global Cement Industry?

As we watch events unfold, there’s a lot of information predicting the financial effects of the Russian invasion into Ukraine. Most of the media focus is on petrochemicals and durable exports. But I was wondering, what will be consequences of the armed conflict on the global cement industry?

If you have the same question in mind, I suggest that you read Update on Ukraine, February 2022. David Perilli, Global Cement’s web editor, recently posted this article that described the state of the Ukraine cement and concrete industry just prior to the invasion and economic fallout.

His report suggested that there had been a strong and growing materials market. Resultantly, many of the cement companies who operate in North America also had financial position in Ukrainian plants and distribution. How will this all play out? It’s anyone’s guess right now.

My initial gut feeling was that the effect should not impact US domestic cement availability. But in reviewing the USGS list of countries exporting cement and clinker to the US there could be cause for concern. According to the USGS 2021 results, published last month, the top exporter to the US was Turkey, with Greece in fourth place, following Canada and Mexico. Along with supply questions, there’s the financial consequences from lost investments. Thus, it’s a situation many of us will watch closely.

Kudos to Perilli for a great story. You can trust the information that comes from Global Cement Magazine. It’s a monthly magazine which looks at market trends, news and technical developments in the global cement industry.