Editor's Note
This editor’s note highlights the key facts and market implications behind “From Clinker to White Cement: How Algeria Moves “, with emphasis on sourcing, product fit, fabrication, logistics, or buyer impact.
With 20,000 tonnes of white cement in its hold, bound for Guatemala. This type of operation repeats at a regular pace from Quay 14: since 2022, Algeria has been exporting to the Americas not raw clinker, but finished cement packaged in big-bags, sold at $200 per tonne on American markets. Less than a decade ago, Algeria was still buying cement from abroad. In 2018, exports from the public group GICA were worth between $3 and $5 million. A year later, this figure had jumped to $60 million. In 2023, it reached $747 million, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce. In 2024, the volume of exports has crossed the 10 million tonne mark for the first time, according to Azzedine Asfirane, head of marketing and communications division for the GICA group.
Oggaz White Cement, the Flagship Product of an Upscale Move
Since 2021-2022, the situation has changed. Volumes of packaged finished cement are increasing, driven notably by Super White cement manufactured at the Oggaz cement plant in the Mascara province. This product sells for $200 per tonne on American markets, well above the prices for raw clinker. Recognized for its aesthetic and technical qualities, it now supplies flows to the United States, South Africa, and Mauritania. Holcim El-Djazaïr, which holds 38% of national cement exports, aims for 3.4 million tonnes exported in 2025, including 1.2 million tonnes of finished cement.
Biskria Cement, Exporter Despite the Surcharge
Alongside Holcim El-Djazaïr, long the sole Algerian operator present internationally, other players are emerging. The Biskria Cement plant has established itself on the North American market. In August 2025, it shipped 28,000 tonnes of white cement to the United States aboard the M/V Anhui, from Annaba. What is noteworthy is that this delivery occurred after the imposition of a 30% American surcharge on Algerian cement, active since August 7, 2025. The maintenance of flows despite this tariff barrier says something about the product's competitiveness, both in price and quality. According to the report by the Cercle d’Action et de Réflexion autour de l’Entreprise (CARE), sales to the United States doubled between 2023 and 2024, rising from $6.8 million to $14.3 million, a progression of 110.3% in one year.
One Third of Exported Algerian White Cement Goes to the United States
In 2024, the United States absorbed 32.3% of total Algerian white cement exports. This share represents 2.4% of total US white cement imports, a proportion still modest but growing rapidly in a market driven by demand for high-end construction.
Annaba, the Pivot Port of a National Ambition
The port of Annaba now concentrates 70% of its traffic on exports. In October 2025, its Quays 14 and 15 were simultaneously handling 90,000 tonnes of white cement to the United States and clinker to Mauritania. In December, a new shipment of 28,000 tonnes left across the Atlantic at a price of $200 per tonne. The sustained pace has led the government to consider creating a port dedicated to cement, with the perspective of raising exports to 10 million tonnes annually.
The Fragilities of a Still-Narrow Success Story
The performance is real, but it rests on fragile foundations. White cement production remains concentrated on two or three operators. The 30% American surcharge, if it becomes permanent under the Trump administration's trade policy, could erode Algerian competitiveness against less-penalized Turkish, Spanish, or Moroccan competitors.
To this tariff exposure is added a constraint looming on the European market. Starting in 2026, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will impose a precise declaration of the carbon footprint for products exported to the EU, with cement at the forefront. The World Bank also noted in its April 2025 report that 80% of Algerian non-hydrocarbon exports remained concentrated on three products: cement, fertilizers, and steel. Moving from raw clinker to packaged white cement is one step. Replicating this logic in other industrial sectors is another, which Algeria has not yet crossed.
“The volume of exports has crossed the 10 million tonne mark for the first time.”
Azzedine Asfirane, head of marketing and communications division for the GICA group, said.
Source: Read the original article | Published: April 19, 2026