For January, cement demand improved further in both the domestic and export markets. The Bank of Thailand (BoT) reported domestic cement sales volume rose to 2.2mn tons, up 5.4% YoY.

This was the eighth consecutive month that domestic demand growth YoY was positive. Meanwhile, Thailand’s export cement sales volume increased to 1.2mn tons, up 21.5% YoY, growing for the second consecutive month. Domestic cement sales are estimated to grow 9.0% YoY in 2010 after dropping 2.4% YoY in 2009, powered by a revival in private investment growth together with accelerating public investment growth.

Meanwhile, export cement sales are set to grow 4.0% YoY in 2010, after dropping 5.1% YoY in 2009, fuelled by the global economic recovery. In 1Q10, high season for the domestic market and low base in the export market will underpin cement demand.
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