Export volume of cement from China 2013-2023

China was seen to have lowered its cement exports amid the environmental pollution problems for developing cement plants. In 2023, the export volume of cement and cement clinkers reached 3.83 million metric tons, signaling a rebound despite previous reductions. In terms of net weight, Turkey, Japan, and Pakistan were the leading cement export countries in 2023. 

The rise and fall

The cement industry was much smaller before the economic reformation in China. In the 1980s, several state-owned cement producers were established to integrate cement plants and boost production. The People’s Republic gradually became the biggest cement producer in the world, contributing over two billion metric tons of annual production since 2011. However, in 2013 the government announced plans to ban the cement capacity expansion amid growing public concerns of air pollution and electricity shortages. Since then, a series of cement plants were closed, turning China into a cement importing nation by the end of 2017, compared to its previous position as a global leader in the industry.

A new phase

Despite these restrictions on capacity expansion, China still managed to be the third-largest cement exporter to the U.S., and the fifth largest in the world in 2018. Today, the Chinese cement sector seems to be better positioned to face the industrial changes compared to two years back. In fact, in 2020, the cement manufacturer Anhui Conch recorded over 12 percent annual growth in revenue, reaching over 176 billion yuan. That same year, another market leader- China National Building Material (CNBM) reported cement and clinker sales of almost 389 million tons. Furthermore, experts estimate that the Belt and Road Initiative which focuses on infrastructure development in 152 countries would also help the industrial overcapacity issues in China.