According to the Spanish cement association Oficemen, domestic consumption continued to fall in October 2013. Cement despatches came in at 1.03 million t, 11.2% lower than the 1.13 million t consumed in October 2012. Production levels for the month also declined, dropping by 5.1% y/y to 1.14 million t. On an accumulated basis, Spanish domestic cement sales in January – October 2013 were down 20.9% y/y to 9.35 million t, compared to 11.82 million t in the corresponding period in 2012. Production for the first ten months of 2013 decreased by 17.7% y/y to 11.11 million t. As Oficemen points out, the Spanish cement industry has been placing increasing emphasis on exports in order to offset the decline of the national market.
Adapted from press release by Louise Fordham