Belarus noticeably increases cement deliveries to Russia

MINSK. May 12 (Interfax) - The Belarusian Cement Company holding, which unites large cement plants in Belarus, announced a record export of cement to Russia, increasing deliveries in April this year 2.3 times.

"The holding is progressively increasing its supply of cement to the Russian market, fully compensating for the reduced export volumes which used to go to the European Union. In April 2023, another maximum was achieved: more than 231,000 tonnes of cement were shipped to Russia. This is (. . .) 2.3 times more than in April 2022," a company representative said, as quoted by the BelTA state agency.

The BCC emphasizes that even despite the sanctions ban on the supply of products to Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Ukraine, export volumes as a whole have already exceeded those of previous years. "In the most successful year, 2021, cement exports in April were estimated at 193,000 tonnes, which is 38,000 tonnes less than in the same period in 2023, when the holding focused on Russia," a company employee said.

The BCC holding includes the three largest Belarusian cement enterprises: the Belarusian Cement Plant OJSC, Krichevcementnoshifer OJSC and Krasnoselskstroymaterialy OJSC. Their combined production capacity is 5 million tonnes of cement per year.

According to the holding, the Belarusian Cement Plant produced 2 million tonnes of cement in 2022, which is the same as in 2021. Due to Western sanctions, the company has reoriented exports and now supplies products mainly to Russia's Northwestern and Central Federal Districts.

Since June 2022, sectoral EU sanctions against Belarus have been in force, which impose a ban on the supply of Belarusian mineral fuel, tobacco, wood and wood products, cement, iron, and steel to Europe.