Cement, glass output expected to grow 10 per cent this year

China’s building materials industry will grow steadily with cement and glass production rising about ten per cent and profits keeping increasing, according to relevant departments of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

The departments held that the internal and external environments are good for the development of building materials industry in 2007.

Foreign investors eye China’s building materials sector with transnational M&A and integration of China’s building materials market resources speeding up, reported Xinhua News Agency.

Meanwhile the consumption upgrading, the increase of the investment in infrastructure facilities, construction of new socialist countryside and urbanization will boost the development of building industry.

China produced 1.24bnt of cement in 2006, up 15.5 per cent over that in 2005, the growth was 4.9 percentage points higher than that in 2005; 404.99 million weight cases of plated glass, up 13.3 per cent, the growth declined 3.5 percentage points.

The growth of the deep processing of glass, building ceramics, plasterboard, fireproof materials and brick production approached or exceeded 25 percent.

The price of building materials rose in 2006. The cement sector realized 15 billion yuan in profits, up 92.6 per cent. The export of building materials grew continuously and investment structure was further optimised.