JAPAN: Japan's largest cement producer Cement

JAPAN PRESS: Japan's largest cement producer Taiheiyo Cement Corp plans to raise cement prices by between Y1,000 and Y1,500 per ton, starting with April shipments, to reflect higher costs for raw materials, the Nikkei reports. The industry's No. 4 player, Tokuyama Corp, has already announced a hike of its own, and others are likely to follow suit, the report says. Taiheiyo Cement tried to raise prices by a range between Y500 and Y1,000 per ton last spring, only to run into a strong backlash from raw concrete producers, it says.