Votorantim to import cement amid booming domestic demand
A tight domestic supply of cement has forced Votorantim, a traditional cement producer in Brazil, to import the product in an effort to reduce a deficit estimated at around 200,000t a month, financial daily Gazeta Mercantil reported Thursday.
According to Votorantim Cimentos’ CEO Walter Schalka, the company has decided to buy cement overseas, especially from China, the world’s largest producer, to meet a booming demand from the construction sector.
In addition, Votorantim is increasingly redirecting production from its Laranjeiras (Rio de Janeiro state) plant, originally destined for export, to the domestic market.
"We’ve already announced two investment plans, totaling $3.2 billion and which should boost our capacity by around 60% by 2011," said Schalka. "Until then, we’ll try to meet the increase in demand with imports," he added.
Published under Cement News
