Huaxin commissions new 2,000 mt/day cement plant in Malawi

Chinese producer Huaxin Building Materials has commissioned a $100 million integrated cement plant in Malawi's Balaka district, marking one of the country's largest industrial investments, according to a Linkedin post by the company on Dec. 7.

The facility, developed through Huaxin's subsidiary Portland Cement Malawi, was completed in roughly 11 months, from its initial groundbreaking in late October 2024 to commissioning in early December 2025.

The plant adds 2,000 mt/day of clinker capacity and lifts cement output to about 800,000 mt/year, more than double the firm's previous production levels. Malawi's Finance Minister Joseph Mwanamvekha said the launch marks a "significant milestone" in the country's push for economic transformation, noting the facility will help reduce import dependence and strengthen supply security for the construction sector.

"This factory stands as a beacon for Malawi's industrial future," Mwanamvekha said, adding that the new capacity is expected to stabilize cement availability and support infrastructure development.

Several Asia-based producers and traders said the development mirrors wider market sentiment, with African buyers increasingly turning to Asian suppliers for cement and clinker. Market participants pointed to growing import volumes from key exporting hubs such as Vietnam, China and Indonesia.

"2025 has been a surprising year, we suddenly see African countries, particularly West African countries, importing large clinker and cement volumes from Asian exporters," an Asia-based trader said.

"Chinese companies have been expanding more and more into Africa, giving competition to traditional Mediterranean suppliers [such as] Egypt, Algeria, and Turkey," another trader from the region said.

A South Asia-based buyer added that suppliers in Vietnam have become increasingly constrained, noting that "we are not getting any offer from Vietnam [for January shipments] ... they are occupied with West Africa."

Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed cement (ASTM type I) FOB Vietnam at $36.5/mt on Dec. 4, up from $36/mt the previous week. Platts also assessed cement clinker FOB Vietnam at $31/mt on Dec. 4, up from $30.75/mt FOB the previous week.

For Turkey, Platts assessed CEMDEX Turkey at $52/mt FOB Dec. 4, down from $53/mt the previous week. Platts also assessed cement clinker FOB Turkey at $44.5/mt on Dec. 4, down from $44.75/mt FOB the previous week.