Cuts to infrastructure investment continue to hit Spain’s cement industry

According to the latest figures from Oficemen, Spanish domestic cement consumption declined by 9.1% y/y to 947 170 t in September. On an accumulated basis, consumption came in at 8.3 million t in January – September 2013, compared to 10.7 million t in the corresponding period last year. Cement production levels also fared badly, falling by 9.2% y/y in September alone and by 18.9% y/y in the first nine months of 2013.

In Catalonia, cement production dropped 27.6% y/y to 137 075 t in September. Around 1.4 million t of cement was produced in the region in January – September 2013, 40.6% less than the same period in 2012.

Reduced investment in infrastructure projects continues to hamper Spain’s construction sector, with a knock on effect on the country’s cement industry. Domestic cement consumption levels are forecast to suffer further declines in 2014.

Edited from various sources by Louise Fordham

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/23102013/spanish_cement_statistics_september_2013_322/