Colombia cement sales at 500,244t March 2004

Colombian cement sales in March 2004 totalled 500,244t, exceeding the threshold of 500,000t, registered in September 2003, the Colombian Institute of Cement Makers, ICPC, said on May 14, 2004.

Cement sales in March 2004 rose 10.4 pct year-on-year and marked a 35.4 pct rise from March 2002, the institute added. Rising cement sales are in line with the recovery of Colombia’s construction sector in the past months.

Cement sales in Colombia over the first quarter of 2004 totalled 1,440,028 tonnes, rising 11.8 pct year-on-year. Cement sales from January to March 2004 grew by 20.4 pct, compared to the same period of 2002.

Cement sales of Colombia in March 2004 stood at 19,240t per working day, up 6.1 per cent from March 2003 and rising 14.5 per cent from March 2002.

The sales of grey cement in Colombia from March 2003 to March 2004 totalled 5,592,654t, up 7.2 per cent YoY.