The Turkish Cement Manufacturer’s Association (TCMA) revealed that Turkey recorded a 12.2% increase in cement production over January – May this year compared to 2009 figures, as the nation produced 24.32 million t in comparison to 21.6 million t last year.
The TCMA detailed that 72% of the product was sold to the domestic market, while 28% was exported to a selection of countries, mostly neighbouring regions. A total of 6.8 million t was sold to foreign nations over the January – May period, compared to 6.4 million last year – an increase of 14.2%.
The highest output came from producers in the Marmara region (6.2 million t); second was the Mediterranean region, which produced some 5.4 million t. Third, the Central Anatolian region produced 3.5 million t, with the Black Sea area producing around 2.9 million t. Smaller amounts were produced in other regions around the country.
Turkey was Europe’s largest exporter of cement in 2009, shipping some 14 million t. The TCMA commented that the nation is aiming to produce around 19 million t this year.