Double-digit rise in Colombian dispatches

In the first half of 2014, national cement demand in Colombia reached 5.690Mt, up 11.2 per cent when compared with the equivalent period of 2013, according to the country's statistics office, Dane.

Consumption in Norte de Santander rose by 50.2 per cent, followed by Magdalena (30.8 per cent) and Huila (24 per cent), Cundinamarca (20.4 per cent), Antioquia (16.7 per cent) and Bogotá (4.7 per cent). Córdoba noted a 31.1 per cent decline in its dispatches.

Domestic production advanced 12.4 per cent to 5.905Mt in 1H14.

In June 2014 alone, the latest month for which statistics have been released, cement demand in Colombia increased 6.2 per cent YoY to 918,600t. The largest advances were experienced in Norte de Santander (44.3 per cent) and Cundinamarca (22.9 per cent), followed by Antioquia (19.2 per cent) and Atlántico (15.4 per cent). At the other end of the scale, both Bogotá and Córdoba registered declines of 8.4 and 29.4 per cent, respectively.

Output from Colombia's cement plants increased 11.5 per cent YoY to 981,500t by the end of the month.