Fresh figures from the Mineral Products Association (MPA) reveal that UK cement production fell to 7.3m tonnes in 2024 – less than half the output recorded in 1990.The figures come shortly after the MPA reported that ready-mix concrete sales slumped to record lows in the second quarter of 2025, with other key construction materials also showing year-on-year declines. Reports Contract Journal
The association has warned that the sharp reduction in cement production could jeopardise Labour’s ambitions for new housing and major infrastructure projects.
Over the past two decades, cement imports have almost tripled. Imports accounted for just 12% of sales in 2008 but surged to 32% in 2024, leaving UK supply chains increasingly vulnerable to the volatility of international markets.
Domestic manufacturers are facing some of the steepest industrial electricity costs in the developed world, alongside uneven carbon taxation. Importers – particularly those outside the EU – are not subject to the same emissions charges, putting UK producers at a competitive disadvantage.
The government plans to introduce a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism in 2027 to tackle this issue. However, the MPA argues it must be backed by a procurement policy that prioritises UK-made materials if the sector is to remain viable.
Dr Diana Casey, executive director for cement and lime at the Mineral Products Association, said: “Cement is an essential industry, but the sector is increasingly under threat. We’re calling on the government to help put domestic production on a level playing field so that it can compete fairly with imports.
“Cement quite literally underpins the nation’s growth and we can’t deliver new homes, schools, hospitals, transport links or clean energy infrastructure without it.
“The UK has a choice: to build these vital development projects with UK-made cement, or to build them with imports – sending jobs, investment and economic growth overseas.”
English 