Grey cement production
Approximately 1.07 million t of grey cement was produced in Colombia in May 2014, up 15.3% y/y. According to DANE, production volumes for January – May 2014 were 12.6% higher than in the corresponding period in 2013, reaching over 4.9 million t. In the 12 months to May, grey cement production levels grew by 9.3% y/y to 11.8 million t.
Domestic consumption
In the first five months of the year around 4.77 million t of grey cement was dispatched on Colombia’s national market, an increase of 12.2% y/y. In May alone, domestic sales reached 1.034 million t, up 14.7% on May 2013. Meanwhile, in the 12 months to May 2014, some 11.4 million t of cement was dispatched within the country, representing an improvement of 9.1% y/y.
Regional markets
Figures released by DANE indicate that cement dispatches increased in North Santander (46.3%), Cundinamarca (30%), Atlántico 23.8%), Antioquia (20%) and Bogota (15%) in May 2014. However, sales of grey cement fell by 34.2% in Córdoba. In January – May 2014, dispatches dropped by 31.4% in Córdoba, but increased in a number of other regions including Huila (27.4%), Magdalena (33.9%) and North Santander (51.5%).
Adapted from press release by Louise Fordham