Venezuela: sales rebound despite weak construction sector

Venezuela’s cement producers’ association APVC said cement sales for the first quarter have rebounded from last year’s general strike to 851,407t, up 59.9 per cent over the previous year’s 532,539t, El Universal reported.

This gain was despite the general depressed condition of the construction sector and reflects the slowdown of activity during the 2003 strike.  For several years, construction activity has fallen during the first quarter. Sales in 1Q03 were 33.7 pr cent  down over 1Q02, itself down 22.7 per cent from 1Q01, according to the newspaper.

Demand is attributed to the completion of existing private sector work programmes rather than state infrastructure works. Public works which will proceed are line 4 of Caracas metro, Metro Los Teques, some railroad sections and the José Antonio Páez, Oriente and San Cristóbal-La Fría highways.