China cement

China: Switzerland-based materials company Holcim has raised its stake in Chinese cement producer Huaxin Cement Co. (HCC) from 26.1% to 50.3%. The company paid US$ 125 million to increase its ownership through the purchase of new privately-placed shares. HCC has the capacity to produce 22 million tonnes of cement per year, just over 2% of China's estimated 1 billion tonne market.