China cement sees Jan-Sept slowdown

China's cement sector witnessed a sharp slowdown in the first nine months of this year, according to the latest data from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)

Cement output rose 6.7 per cent YoY to 1.59bnt in the January-September period, compared with 18.1 per cent recorded in the same period of 2011, according to a recent NDRC report.

The factory price of cement tumbled 18.7 per cent from August to an average of CNY317.3/t (US$50.36).

At the end of September, cement inventories of major producers amounted to 17.57Mt, compared with 10.42 per cent at the end of last year-end.

Profits of China's building materials industry declined 9.7 per cent YoY to CNY192.5bn (US$30.8bn) in the first eight months of 2012, as cement makers posted a 53 per cent decline in profits.