The Americas

The last few days have seen further developments in the bid for a stake in Portuguese cement manufacturer, Cimpor.

Columbus McKinnon Corporation, a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of material handling products, has announced it is contributing more than US$40 000 worth of products to aid the recovery efforts in Haiti.

Lafarge North America, Inc. is to make improvements totalling US$170 million at 13 plants across the US. The EPA claims the company violated the Clean Air Act, and has hit back with a large fine.

Reports suggest that more than one tenth of container ships are lying idle, waiting for orders to sail.

Accredited Business Consolidators Corp. announced that its subsidiary, Envirocare Corp., secured funding for a proposed joint venture in Nicaragua with Green World Crete, Inc., for an environmentally friendly "green" concrete plant.

CEMEX, S.A.B. de C.V. announced today that, in solidarity with the Haitian people, the company is responding to this humanitarian emergency by collaborating in relief efforts with the governments of Mexico and other countries, international institutions, and social organisations.

Cimpor has received and rejected a proposed takeover bid from Brazilian company CSN.

The US Geological Society has issued a statement regarding the performance of gypsum in terms of consumption and demand in October 2009. Generally there was an improvement in consumption month-on-month, although the year-on-year performance is still poor.

The Brazilian steel producer Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (CSN) has launched a €3.86 billion takeover bid for Portugal’s biggest cement producer.

Results have been released from the USGS concerning the production of gypsum in September 2009.

October 2009 was the 41st consecutive month where cement shipments were lower than in the corresponding month last year, and although the construction industry is showing signs of improving, nonresidential construction does not look so healthy.

Cemex has announced the closing of its offer to exchange Certificados Bursátiles into mandatorily convertible securities.

The first batch of cement has left Florida’s Port Everglades heading for Panama, as part of Titan Cement’s export project.

The EPA issued a statement on Monday (7 December) that confirms the findings of its investigations into greenhouse gases and human health.

In a webcast out yesterday (9th December), the PCA looks at the future for the US cement industry, which ought to be bright. From 2010, demand is predicted to increase year-on-year through 2011 and 2012.