What Holcim Trading does

Holcim Trading Ltd is a Swiss-incorporated, private trading and shipping company founded in 1960 in Zurich, operating as the dedicated seaborne trading arm of Holcim Group. It specializes in the international seaborne trading of cementitious and construction materials — including cement, clinker, slag (GBFS/GGBFS, copper, coal, steel, zinc), gypsum, fly ash, aggregates, industrial minerals, solid fuels (coal, petcoke, alternative fuels), specialty construction materials (microsilica, pozzolana, anhydrite), chemicals/additives, and roofing and insulation inputs (EPDM, TPO). The company handles approximately 20 million tons of materials annually across more than 1,250 shipments per year, serving construction firms, industrial manufacturers, and Holcim Group affiliates across the EMEA, APAC, and Americas regions from three operational hubs in Zurich (EMEA headquarters), Singapore (APAC regional hub), and Miami/Coral Gables (Americas regional hub).

The operating stack combines an integrated digital trading platform — covering KYC compliance, credit assessment, contracting, risk management, and shipment scheduling — with a shipping business built on long-term relationships with first-class ship owners and brokers. The fleet mix spans Panamax-class vessels down to tugs and barges, and services range from spot shipments to long-term contracts of affreightment and time charters, with multimodal coordination and real-time visibility through to port-to-plant delivery. Three regional Heads of Trading (Europe, Middle East & Africa, Asia Pacific, Americas) and a Head of Shipping execute cross-functionally with dedicated KYC, finance, legal, sustainability, and HSE teams, supported by AWS-hosted infrastructure and a leadership team that combines the CFO with a Digital Officer mandate.

Commercially, Holcim Trading earns transaction-fee-style revenue through (i) trading margins on the global buy-sell of cementitious and related materials and (ii) freight income from coordinating vessel charters across spot, contract-of-affreightment, and time-charter structures. Pricing is bespoke and quote-based, negotiated within multi-year B2B contracts typically secured by Letters of Credit or bank guarantees, with delivery on FOB, CFR, CIF, or on-site terms. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales executed through the three regional hubs. The company is wholly owned by Holcim Group, one of the world's largest building materials conglomerates, and is operated by a team of more than 80 seaborne logistics specialists and more than 70 trading and shipping experts spanning 26 nationalities.

Name

Holcim Trading

Legal name

Holcim Trading Ltd

Website

https://holcimtrading.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Holcim Trading is the seaborne trading and shipping arm of Holcim Group, handling roughly 20 million tons of cementitious and construction materials via 1,250+ shipments a year. It serves construction firms, industrial manufacturers, and Holcim affiliates worldwide from hubs in Zurich, Singapore, and Miami.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cement and Construction Materials Trading

NAICS

Metal and Mineral (except Petroleum) Merchant Wholesalers (4235), Coal and Other Mineral and Ore Merchant Wholesalers (423520), Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers (425120)

SIC

Wholesale-Metals & Minerals (No Petroleum) (5050), Commodity Contracts Brokers & Dealers (6221)

akta.pro primary industry

Commodity Brokerage, Merchants & Structured Trade (Offtake, Prepay, Inventory/Collateral Mgmt) (IMAKAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Concentrates & Intermediate Feedstocks Marketing (Concentrates, Cathodes, Anodes, Alumina) (IMAKAJAJ), Industrial Minerals Trading (Phosphate, Potash, Sulfur, Borates, Barite, Talc) (IMAKAJAF)

Keywords

• Cement trading
• Seaborne logistics
• Industrial minerals
• Construction materials
• Clinker shipping

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Materials Trading: Trading and shipping of cementitious products (clinker, cement, slag, gypsum), industrial minerals, aggregates, solid fuels and construction materials. Revenue generated through margins on buying and selling materials globally.
2. Shipping and Logistics Services: Freight services including voyage charter, time charter, and contracts of affreightment. Revenue from coordinating vessel charters and providing logistics solutions for materials transport.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Holcim Trading specializes in seaborne import and export trading of cementitious materials (cement, clinker, fly ash, slag, gypsum), industrial minerals, aggregates, solid fuels, and specialty construction raw materials, serving construction companies, cement manufacturers, and industrial buyers worldwide. The company provides integrated trading services covering tailored sourcing, contracting, risk management, and shipping solutions ranging from spot shipments to long-term contracts of affreightment and time charters, handling approximately 20 million tons of materials across 1,250+ shipments annually from hubs in Zurich, Singapore, and Miami.

Product overview

Holcim Trading operates as the trading and shipping arm of Holcim Group, offering a comprehensive portfolio of cementitious and construction materials with integrated logistics services. The company trades over 30 different products across 9 main categories including cementitious products (clinker, grey cement, white cement), industrial minerals (bauxite, gypsum), aggregates (fly ash, limestone), slags (GBFS, GGBFS), solid fuels (coal, petcoke), and specialty materials. Services include trading solutions (sourcing, import/export), shipping (chartering, logistics), and supporting services (industrial services, procurement, logistics management, marketing solutions). The company handles approximately 20 million tons of materials annually across 1,250+ shipments, with delivery options including FOB, CFR, CIF, or on-site.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cementitious Products Cement and clinker products including grey cement, oil well cement, white cement, and white clinker for construction and industrial applications, with delivery options including FOB, CFR, CIF, or on-site.
• Industrial Minerals Raw materials including bauxite, calcined clay, kaolinite, fluorite, and gypsum for various industrial processes and construction applications.
• Aggregates and Building Materials Construction aggregates including aggregates, dolomite, feldspar, fly ash, limestone, mortar, pumice, and sand for building applications.
• Slags Various slag products including coal slag, copper slag, granulated blast-furnace slag (GBFS), ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS), steel slag, and zinc slag for cement and steel industry use.
• Solid Fuels Energy materials including alternative fuels, coal, and petcoke for industrial energy production in cement and power generation.
• Construction and Building Materials Specialty construction materials including anhydrite, microsilica, and pozzolana for building applications.
• Chemicals and Additives Industrial chemicals including calcium complex, calcium chloride, ferrous sulphate, and polyisobutylene for industrial and chemical applications.
• Raw Materials for Roofing and Insulation Specialty materials including ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), nitrile butadiene, and rubber cylinders for adhesives used in roofing and insulation applications.
• Miscellaneous Products Additional traded materials including iron ore, paper, and salt for diverse industrial applications.
• Trading Services Tailor-made sourcing, import, export and shipping solutions for cementitious materials, including initial inquiry handling, offer development, contracting and risk management, execution and shipment planning, and delivery and invoicing.
• Shipping Services Freight solutions ranging from spot shipments to long-term contracts of affreightment and time charters, with customized shipping solutions, professional logistics, and product handling expertise for cementitious and energy materials.
• Logistics Services Contract structuring, shipment scheduling, and inventory management with reliable seaborne transport, multimodal coordination, and real-time visibility across the supply chain.
• Procurement Services Leverages Holcim's global network to source 30+ product categories with tailored sourcing, volume bundling, and creative commercial structures for customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20 million tons of materials handled annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Amazon Web ServicessupportingOthersAWS provides cloud hosting services for www.holcimtrading.com website, enabling the company's digital presence and operations.
• Sea Cargo ChartercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs signatories of the Sea Cargo Charter, Holcim Trading is committed to carbon transparency, assessing and disclosing the environmental impact of their chartering activities. Signatory status since at least 2022.
• EdifixiosupportingOthersTechnical implementation partner for the website and hosting administration/supervision.
• International Maritime Organization (IMO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHolcim Trading aligns its efforts with IMO targets to cut carbon emissions from shipping, supporting the 40% efficiency gain by 2030 and 50% reduction in total carbon emissions by 2050 (vs 2008) targets.
• Peter Schmidt Group GmbHsupportingOthersGraphic design partner for the Holcim Trading website.
• Casual CommunitysupportingOthersPartner supporting and optimizing social networks for Holcim Trading.
• PoleeticsupportingOthersConsulting partner providing guidance and project consulting services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Glencore: One of the world's largest commodity traders, with industrial minerals, coal/petcoke and freight operations that overlap parts of Holcim Trading's solid fuels and minerals book. Comparable on trading scale, chartering and counterparty access, but far broader in scope.
• Trafigura: Global commodity merchant with significant dry-bulk, mineral and freight operations. Adjacent peer given Holcim Trading's trading + shipping model, though Trafigura is far more diversified across metals, oil and minerals beyond cementitious materials.
• Marubeni Corporation: Diversified trading house with grain, metals and cement/clinker trading operations. Comparable on seaborne trading of industrial minerals and dry-bulk chartering; less specialized in cementitious than Holcim Trading.
• Mitsubishi Corporation (Cement & Construction Materials): Japanese sogo shosha with extensive cement trading, clinker sourcing and dry-bulk shipping activities. Comparable on cross-border cementitious flows and integrated trading-shipping, with stronger Asia-Pacific origination.
• CRH plc: Global building materials leader with significant cement, aggregates and trading operations. Comparable in cement and aggregates trading scale; competes with Holcim Trading for seaborne volumes and counterparties, though its trading function is more embedded within a broader materials portfolio.

Direct peers

• Siam Cement Group (SCG) Trading: SCG and its affiliates engage in international trading of cement, clinker and related materials, particularly from Southeast Asian supply bases. Comparable to Holcim Trading's APAC hub function in Singapore and the trading of Asian-origin clinker.
• Heidelberg Materials Trading: Trading and shipping arm of Heidelberg Materials, one of the world's largest integrated cement and aggregates producers. Directly comparable business model: global seaborne trading of cementitious materials and raw materials, often competing for the same third-party volumes.
• Aditya Birla Group (UltraTech Cement Trading): UltraTech Cement, the Aditya Birla group's flagship, engages in cross-border cementitious trade via group trading affiliates. Comparable to Holcim Trading on clinker, cement and SCM flows, with strong emerging-market origination.
• Tata International (Metals & Minerals Trading): Tata's metals and minerals trading desk handles cross-border flows of industrial minerals and raw materials relevant to cement and construction. Comparable on trading of gypsum, fly ash, bauxite and similar SCMs to Holcim Trading's minerals portfolio.
• Cemex Trading: Cemex operates global trading of cement, clinker and supplementary cementitious materials. Competes head-to-head with Holcim Trading in cross-border cementitious flows, particularly across the Atlantic and into the Americas.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/holcimtrading
• Xx.com/Holcim

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Holcim Trading