PARAGUAY: Levanta sospecha maniobra de INC para pagar más por clínker

La actual administración de la Industria Nacional del Cemento (INC) realiza dos operaciones para el envío de clínker a Villeta. Utiliza transporte fluvial hasta Concepción y luego camiones. Este sistema levanta sospechas, según las autoridades departamentales.

Conforme la denuncia del gobernador de Concepción, Emilio Pavón, el flete por vía fluvial es mucho más económico, solo cuesta 70 guaraníes por kilo y con el actual nivel del río Paraguay no existe ningún problema de navegación.

Sin embargo, la administración de Optaciano Gómez prefiere enviarlo vía terrestre, lo cual es más oneroso, puesto que el costo del flete es de 200 guaraníes por cada kilo.

"No entendemos el sistema utilizado por la administración de la INC, ya que el flete por agua es mucho más barato y ahora el nivel del río es navegable cien por ciento", expresó Pavón.

Agregó que llamativamente, el clínker es embarcado en barcazas hasta el puerto granelero de Concepción y de allí va vía terrestre hasta Villeta.

De acuerdo a la versión dada por las autoridades departamentales, existe una gran sospecha de que esta operación obedezca a otro negociado del actual presidente de la cementera.

Calculan que algunas autoridades de la INC han de tener cierta influencia con la empresa de transporte terrestre que opera en el acarreo del clínker.

Desconfían que la INC transporta el material desde Vallemí a Concepción en barcazas solo para evitar el mal estado del camino y luego ya posibilita a los camioneros su traslado hasta desde Concepción a Villeta, ocasionando una gran erogación económica a la cementera.

VIETNAM: Cement prices will rise at least 22%

Cement Association chairman Nguyen Van Thien Vietnam said that due to pressure on prices of electricity and coal, in time to cement prices will increase from 22 to 30% (about 100 to 150,000 VND / ton).

According to Compassion, from late 2010 until now, the cement industry under constant negative pressure on prices from a range of inputs such as electricity, coal, petroleum ... In addition, exchange rate for converting foreign currency be adjusted as well as a small factor to influence the cement industry.

In the process of cement production, energy costs accounted for between 45-50% of the cost, so the petrol, oil rose nearly 18%, electricity up 15.3%, coal 40% increase was expected to make Cement price increased by 10-15%. In addition, the increase in the exchange rate USD / USD to 9.3% and rising interest rates has caused great difficulties for cement plants, because plants have loans with interest rates above 20% years. In particular, many projects have come to cement the time limit for repayment, such as in 2011, is expected to repay VICEM 3,200 billion VND, Cam Pha cement was 800 billion ...

With the above factors, prices of finished cement must increase at least 22% to ensure the plant profitable. A considerable problem is that the Association is expected in 2011 cement consumption market will only increase by 10% compared with 2010, reaching 55-56 million tons, while output of the whole industry will produce output this year is estimated at 60 million tons. However, with input prices as high as today, most likely the factory will cut production to avoid losses.

"With the current situation, the power sector and ensure the supply of coal is only 70% of the demand for cement production plans. With that, the power cut will have to stop clinker kiln, causing a screeching halt production lines and large losses for the cement plant. More worrying is that if electricity, coal is only 70% required to ensure the production of cement factory may lack about 30% " , Mr Shan said.

According to the Vietnam Cement Association, during the recent 10 years, cement in Vietnam is always the lowest price in the ASEAN region, maintained at 50 per ton. "If prices continue to hold current sales (not adjusted), most cement plants in 2011 were lost, " Mr Shan said.

EGYPT: Egypt's Alex Cement 2010 net profit rises 17 pct

Egypt's Alexandria Cement (ALEX.CA) said it posted a 17.3 percent rise in 2010 net profit to 590.9 million Egyptian pounds ($99.34 million), the stock exchange said on Wednesday.

The firm, a subsidary of Greek cement maker Titan Cement (TTNr.AT) reported net profit of 503.6 million pounds for the year 2009.

WORLD: World factories buoyant as price pressures rising

Factories in Europe eased off the accelerator last month but Chinese and Indian manufacturers bumped up production, so far unscathed by Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami, surveys showed on Friday.

Worryingly for policymakers, sustained growth in orders allowed European manufacturers to pass on the costs of soaring raw materials to customers, with prices rising at their fastest rate since at least late 2002.

In Asia's big economies, similar surveys of manufacturers showed worries that high oil prices could scupper growth were unfounded for now, even though China's outlook was clouded by signs of disruptions to trade with Japan.

Markit's Eurozone Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), which records factory activity across all the major euro area economies, dipped to 57.5 last month from February's near 11-year high of 59.0, marking the 18th month above the 50 mark that divides growth from contraction.

The output price index rose to its highest level since Markit began tracking it in November 2002 and, coupled with data on Thursday that showed euro zone inflation at 2.6 percent in March, will cement expectations of a rate rise next week.

"They (PMIs) are still at very robust levels and pointing to healthy growth in the industrial sector, suggesting that the euro zone recovery will continue in the near term and gain some steam," said Ben May at Capital Economics.

A pair of China PMIs showed factories were growing moderately rather than booming, and while some economists warned of a continued slowdown, few thought slowing production would slam the brakes on the world's second largest economy.

"It's growing at a slow and steady speed as tighter monetary policy impacts," said Stephen Green, an economist at Standard Chartered in Shanghai. "I'm not overly worried about growth."

China's official purchasing managers' index (PMI), compiled by the government, rose to 53.4 in March from a six-month low of 52.2. A comparable survey published by HSBC steadied near seven-month lows at 51.8.

In India, the mood among manufacturers was more upbeat. An HSBC-sponsored PMI there compiled from a survey of around 500 firms held steady at a four-month high of 57.9.

British manufacturing growth weakened from a survey record high the prior month after the inflow of orders slowed sharply but the prices charged index hit a survey record, showing manufacturers' pricing power is rising.

Comparable figures due at 1400 GMT are expected to show a light weakening of growth in the United States.

PRICES STILL RISING, RATES TO FOLLOW

The surveys suggested policymakers' main focus in months ahead will be on inflation concerns.

The European Central Bank has already signaled it intends to raise interest rates next week from a record low of 1.0 percent and the Bank of England, facing inflation more than double its target, may follow suit as soon as May.

BRASIL: Brazil Liz Cimentos stops IPO on low demand-report

Liz Cimentos, shareholders cancel stock sale

* Local newspaper says demand was small

(Reuters) - Brazilian cement producer Liz Cimentos and its shareholders canceled an initial public offering because of a lack of demand, local media reported on Friday.

The company reduced its asking price by nearly half for stock in a primary and secondary offering and still didn't find enough takers, newspaper Valor Economico reported.

Liz would have been the first cement maker to list its stock in Brazil's BM&FBovespa exchange.

The price range was first set by Cimentos and banks advising on the transaction at between 10 reais ($6.14) and 13 reais per share. It was then lowered to 8 reais to 10 reais a share, the newspaper reported, and later down to 7 reais.

Under the original plans, the IPO was expected to raise up to 838 million reais, including additional shares sold by banks.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM.N), and the investment-banking units of Itau Unibanco (ITUB4.SA) and BTG Pactual BTG.UL, managed the transaction for Liz. ($1=1.629 reais)