New Zealand: The New Zealand Ministry of Finance plans to launch a commission to investigate high building materials prices. The New Zealand Herald newspaper has reported that finance minister Grant Robertson said that New Zealanders pay too much for building materials. Robertson indicated that any probe would look into gypsum wallboard among other building materials. Average national building materials prices are 20 – 30% higher in New Zealand than in Australia.

Ireland: Belgium-based Etex has acquired multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy Evolusion Innovation. The group says that the new subsidiary will join its New Ways division. It said that the acquisition is ‘another step’ in the execution of its ambition to become a global leader in offsite construction.

Evolusion Innovation develops and certifies construction materials and components and high-rise building systems. It employs 40 people at its Cork headquarters in County Cork.

Canada: The Canadian Gypsum Company (CGC) has temporarily closed part of its wallboard plant in Hagarsville in Ontario due to a coronavirus outbreak amongst its employees. Around half of the 250-strong workforce at the site has been sent home, according to the Norfolk & Tillsonburg News. The plant’s mine has also been closed. The company said it had acted "out of an abundance of caution" and it is working with local health services.

Spain: Saint-Gobain Placo has sent its first load of gypsum for 2021 to Montréal in Canada. The shipment consisted of 80,000t of natural gypsum from the company’s Almería quarry. It said that it previously expanded port facilities at Almería to facilitate shipments of this kind. It added that the shipment ‘consolidates the Almería-Montréal trade route,’ supporting the positioning of the Port of Almería as a strategic axis in international maritime trade.