The MPA warned the drop in cement production puts Labour\u2019s housebuilding and infrastructure plans at risk.<\/p>\n
Cement imports to the UK have nearly tripled over the past 20 years, rising from 12% of all sales in 2008 to 32% in 2024 leaving construction supply chains increasingly exposed to the risks of volatile international markets.<\/p>\n
The UK\u2019s cement manufacturers are battling some of the highest industrial electricity prices among developed nations and uneven carbon taxation as importers \u2013 especially those outside of the EU \u2013 don\u2019t pay the same costs for their emissions.<\/p>\n
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<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe UK\u2019s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism is intended to address this from 2027, but the MPA said it needs to be supported with a procurement policy that prioritises domestically produced materials.<\/p>\n
Dr Diana Casey, executive director for cement and lime at the Mineral Products Association, said: \u201cCement is an essential industry, but the sector is increasingly under threat. We\u2019re calling on the government to help put domestic production on a level playing field so that it can compete fairly with imports.<\/p>\n
\u201cCement quite literally underpins the nation\u2019s growth and we can\u2019t deliver new homes, schools, hospitals, transport links or clean energy infrastructure without it.<\/p>\n
“The UK has a choice: to build these vital development projects with UK-made cement, or to build them with imports \u2013 sending jobs, investment and economic growth overseas.\u201d<\/p>\n
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