DANE has released the latest grey cement statistics for Colombia’s domestic market. In September, production increased by 12.1% y/y to just over 1 million t. Cement sales volumes also grew, rising by 13.7% y/y to 981 300 t. On a regional level, sales volumes varied. In North Santander, Caldas, Cundinamarca and Antioquia cement sales grew by 55.2%, 40%, 28.7% and 20.2%, respectively. However, volumes were down by 20.9% in Nariño and by 6.2% in Cordoba.
In January – September 2013, around 8.17 million t of cement was produced, a slight increase of 0.1% y/y. Domestic cement sales came in at 7.95 million t during the period, 1.4% higher than in January – September 2012. Cement despatches grew by 28% y/y in Cordoba in the first nine months of the year but fell by 9.1% y/y in Bogota.
Edited from various sources by Louise Fordham