Latest cement statistics: Argentina, Ecuador and Puerto Rico

Argentina

According to the AFCP, Portland cement plants dispatched 967 752 t in July 2014, including exports. This is 7.6% higher than in June 2014, but down 4.7% on July 2013. AFCP’s member companies dispatched 949 904 t on the domestic market, including imports. This represents a decline of 5.4% when compared to the corresponding month in 2013 but an increase of 7.2% when compare to June 2014.

Ecuador

Ecuador’s Institute of Cement and Concrete has released figures for June 2014. During the month, sales of grey cement on the national market came in at 502 055 t, down on the 523 525 t sold in June 2013. On an accumulated basis, sales from January to June 2014 reached approximately 3.075 million t. In 1H13, sales totalled 3.107 t.

Puerto Rico

The Government Development Bank of Puerto Rico’s Economic Activity Index (GDB-EAI) has been published for June 2014. This indicates a 4.3% y/y rise in cement sales, the first annual improvement since August 2012. Around 1.26 million bags of cement were sold in June. This figure is in line with 5.4% y/y growth in construction employment.

GDB-EAI fell by 1% y/y in June due to a decrease in public sector employment. However, both electricity generation and gasoline consumption increased, up 1.9% y/y and 1.4% y/y, respectively.

Edited from various sources by Louise Fordham

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/07082014/cement-statistics-argentina-ecuador-puerto-rico-254/