Peru sees 7% drop in domestic sales in February 2017

Peru's cement market contracted 6.9 per cent YoY with sales of 0.737Mt in February, according to Asocem, the country's cement producers' association.

Output from Unacem, Cementos Pacasmayo and Cementos Yura reached 0.766Mt, 6.9 per cent below the 0.822Mt produced in February 2016.

Domestic production was supplemented with 75,200t of cement, up 71 per cent YoY, mainly Vietnam and China. Vietnam shipped some 44,298t at an average price of US$66.28/t CIF, increasing volumes by one per cent but taking a 14 per cent YoY price drop. Chinese importers entered the market, delivering some 30,800t at an average price of US$70.05/t CIF. No clinker was imported in February 2017, unlike the previous year when 44,400t of clinker entered Peru.

Cement exports increased by 79 per cent from 14,300t in February 2016 to 25,600t in February 2017. In addition, some 20,200t of clinker were exported.