What Ecotrade does

Ecotrade SPA is a privately held Italian industrial trading company founded in 1988 in Genoa, distributing cementitious materials and industrial by-products to the global cement and steel industries. Its product portfolio spans fly ashes, synthetic gypsum, blast furnace slag, pozzolan, bauxite, iron ore, iron silicate, cement, and the Matrix Family of End of Waste certified aggregates sourced from municipal solid waste incineration. The company historically operated as the world's largest exporter of blast furnace slag for 20 years, anchored by long-term exclusive supply contracts with major steel mills and cement groups.

Ecotrade generates revenue through transaction fees and spreads on bulk material sales, distributed primarily on a Cost and Freight (C&F) basis to cement manufacturers under long-term contracts and multi-source volume agreements. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales, supported by an integrated logistics platform that includes international sea shipping (with 80% of volumes under long-term sea charters), inland haulage, storage depots at strategic locations, and door delivery via barges, sea-river vessels, or trucks. The company operates as the hub of a cement-oriented network of partner entities including Officina dell'Ambiente, Flame S.A., and SMR POLSKA, which collectively extend its reach into circular-economy recycling, shipping, and deoxidants.

Following the 2008 divestiture of its Lugano-based international trading division to Holcim Trading, Ecotrade SPA narrowed its focus to serving the Italian cement industry with imports and exports, while maintaining a global shipping capability and customer roster that historically included RIVA, Arcelor Mittal, Vizag Steel, Ruukki, and other major international players. The company is ISO 14001 and EMAS certified, REACH compliant, and operates as a registered Class A waste management operator in Italy.

Name

Ecotrade

Legal name

ECOTRADE SPA

Website

https://ecotrade.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ecotrade SPA is a Genoa-based industrial trading company, founded in 1988, that distributes cementitious by-products and raw materials including fly ash, slag, gypsum, and pozzolan to cement manufacturers and steel mills worldwide under long-term contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Materials Distribution

NAICS

Brick, Stone, and Related Construction Material Merchant Wholesalers (42332), Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (4246)

SIC

Wholesale-Metals & Minerals (No Petroleum) (5050)

akta.pro primary industry

Feedstock Procurement, Contracting & Trading (Offtake, Spot Markets, Brokerage) (EUAAAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Biomass Storage, Handling & Inventory Management (Yards, Silos, Moisture Control) (EUAAAFAF)

Keywords

• Cementitious materials distribution
• Industrial by-product trading
• Blast furnace slag supply
• Fly ash distribution
• Cement raw materials supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Genova

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Cementitious Materials Distribution: Ecotrade distributes strategic by-products from industrial processes (fly ashes, synthetic gypsum, blast furnace slag, iron silicate) to the cement industry. These materials replace natural raw materials in cement production. Revenue is generated through long-term supply contracts and spot agreements with cement manufacturers.
2. Raw Materials and Additives Supply: Distribution of the full range of natural raw materials and additives used in cement production, providing comprehensive long-term industrial supply services to customers.
3. Matrix Family Products: Distribution of Matrix Family products (End of Waste certified aggregates from MSW incineration) through partnership with Officina dell'Ambiente for use in cement production and construction materials.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Ecotrade distributes industrial by-products and raw materials—fly ashes, synthetic gypsum, blast furnace slag, pozzolan, bauxite, iron ore, iron silicate, cement, and Matrix aggregates—to cement manufacturers as alternatives to natural raw materials. The company provides integrated logistics services including international shipping, inland haulage, storage, and door delivery, with a focus on long-term contracts and environmental sustainability for the cement industry.

Product overview

Ecotrade is a trading company specializing in the international distribution of cementitious materials for the cement industry since 1988. The company operates as a diversified supplier offering a portfolio of industrial by-products and raw materials including Fly Ashes, Synthetic Gypsum, Blast Furnace Slag, Pozzolan, Bauxite, Iron Ore, Iron Silicate, and Cement. Additionally, through its partner Officina dell'Ambiente, the company distributes Matrix products derived from municipal solid waste incineration. The product portfolio combines granulated blast furnace slag with other products such as synthetic gypsum, wet and dry ashes, and other waste by-products to provide a comprehensive range for cement production, enabling customers to reduce clinker factor and access green building credits (LEED, BREAM).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fly Ashes By-product of pulverised coal combustion in thermal power plants, consisting of solid particles removed from flue gas. Used as filler and for pozzolanic behavior in cement production to create more compact, waterproof and longer-lasting concretes. Targeted at cement manufacturers.
• Synthetic Gypsum By-product of coal combustion produced through flue-gas desulfurisation (FGD) at thermal power plants; chemically almost identical to natural gypsum. Used in cement grinding phases to replace natural gypsum and reduce the need for new quarry excavations. For cement manufacturers.
• Blast Furnace Slag By-product of the iron-making process. When rapidly cooled it acquires hydraulic properties and converts into porous vitreous-structure granules (amorphous silica). Used in cement production for special structures requiring high resistance to erosive elements and marine applications due to low hydration heat. For cement manufacturers and infrastructure projects.
• Pozzolan Material of volcanic origin consisting of miniscule vitreous granules combined with small crystals of different mineral types. When mixed with cement creates products suited for long-lasting structures such as motorway tunnels. For cement manufacturers and infrastructure applications.
• Bauxite Sedimentary rock composed of aluminium and iron oxides and hydroxides, serving as the chief ore for aluminium production. Used in manufacturing aluminous cement for refractory structures and products due to high breaking load, chemical resistance and high temperature resistance. For cement and refractory manufacturers.
• Iron Ore Iron oxide (Fe2O3) containing material used as flux in clinker production for melt formation during manufacturing. Features lower hydration rate than three-calcium aluminate and low shrinkage characteristics. For cement manufacturers.
• Iron Silicate By-product of copper refining obtained by cooling molten slag in water; shiny black solid product with vitreous appearance, abrasive in nature, may be powdery. For cement manufacturers.
• Cement Hydraulically-bound mixture where the main component is clinker obtained from limestone and clay; combined with gypsum, blast furnace slag, fly ashes, pozzolan, limestone and other additives to produce homogeneous cement powder. For cement buyers and construction industry.
• Matrix (End-of-Waste Aggregates) Products from industrial treatment of bottom ash generated during incineration of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), classified as End of Waste (EOW) and REACH compliant. Used as component in cement kiln meals (at ~1500°C) for silica-containing adjustment, as Secondary Raw Material, and helps reduce CO2 in the production process. For cement manufacturers and green construction projects targeting LEED/BREAM certifications.

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Holcim TradingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008In 2008, Ecotrade International (Lugano-based) sold its blast furnace slag international trading division to Holcim Trading. Ecotrade Spa continued operations as distributor of strategic materials for the Italian cement production industry.
• SMR POLSKAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Established in 2004 with a production facility in Skawina, Poland, SMR POLSKA specializes in the production of aluminium deoxidants. The company also operates in recovery of ferrous and non-ferrous materials and plastic scrap, with nearly 2 hectares of land and 60 employees operating over three daily shifts. Quality materials and efficient production processes have enabled contracts with major steel works, foundries, and iron-alloy manufacturers worldwide including Dillinger, Treibacher, Aurubis, Umicore, Tenaris Dalmine, and Ilva.
• Flame S.A.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Flame S.A. is a trading and shipping company established in 2003 with headquarters in Lugano, Switzerland, and approximately 40 employees. The company has 4 representative offices worldwide in Seoul, Indore, Singapore, and Brisbane. With over 18 million tons sold in 2016, Flame S.A. is a leading provider of coal and alternative fuels supply services. Partners with major cement groups and utilities worldwide including BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Drummond, and Suek.
• Officina dell'Ambiente (ODA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001Officina dell'Ambiente is an integral part of Ecotrade's cement-oriented network, operating in environmental sustainability through the production of Matrix Family products obtained from industrial treatment of bottom ash generated during MSW incineration. These products are classified as End of Waste (EOW) and are used as replacement of natural raw materials in cement and building materials production. Matrix is the only manmade aggregate in Europe to have obtained EPD (Environmental Product Declaration). Founded in 2001.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Sika AG: Swiss specialty chemicals company supplying concrete and cement admixtures. An adjacent player serving the same cement customers as Ecotrade, focused on chemical additives rather than bulk raw-material trading.

Direct peers

• Holcim: Swiss-based global cement and building materials major that operates Geocycle, its by-product and waste-recycling arm serving cement kilns. Holcim directly acquired Ecotrade International's blast furnace slag international trading division in 2008, making it both a direct competitor and a former parent of the same franchise.
• Heidelberg Materials: German global cement and aggregates major with significant clinker substitution programs and large internal procurement of fly ash, slag, and alternative raw materials. Competes with Ecotrade for the same cement-industry by-product supply pool in Europe.
• Geocycle (Holcim): Holcim's waste management and co-processing business, which recovers industrial by-products and waste streams for use as alternative fuels and raw materials in cement kilns. The closest functional peer to Ecotrade in terms of by-product-to-cement value chain.
• Flame S.A. Swiss-based trading and shipping company (Lugano) that is both an Ecotrade strategic partner and a peer in coal and alternative fuels supply for cement and utilities. Operates a similar global charter-based trading model.

Broad incumbents

• CEMEX: Mexican-listed global cement and ready-mix major with growing circular-economy initiatives (Vertua, Regenera) supplying alternative fuels and by-products to its kilns. Overlaps with Ecotrade's customer base though vertically integrated rather than a pure trader.
• CRH plc: Irish-listed building materials group with extensive cement, aggregates, and concrete operations. A buyer of industrial by-products and alternative cementitious materials similar to Ecotrade's offerings, though much larger and vertically integrated.
• Buzzi Unicem: Italian-headquartered cement and ready-mix producer, directly overlapping Ecotrade's core Italian customer base. Buys fly ash, slag, and gypsum for its kilns and competes for the same alternative-materials procurement opportunities.
• Titan Cement Group: Greek multinational cement producer active across the Mediterranean and Southeastern Europe. Like Ecotrade's cement-industry customers, Titan sources alternative cementitious materials for clinker reduction, representing an overlapping demand pool.

Regional players

• Wienerberger AG: Austrian building materials producer (bricks, pipes, roofing) and a significant European user of mineral raw materials and industrial by-products. Comparable as a demand-side player for alternative materials in Central European markets where Ecotrade also distributes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecotrade-spa

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Ecotrade