Cement demand in Spain at 15.3Mt Jan-April 2004

Cement demand in Spain stood at 15.3Mt in the first four months of 2004, up 3.3 per cent YoY, Spanish Cement Makers Association OFICEMEN said.

Cement consumption in Spain totalled 46.7Mt between April 2003 and April 2004, a 4.9 per cent increase from the twelve months to April 2003.

In the first four months of 2004, the highest increase in cement demand was reported for the Andalusia region, southern Spain, 17.3 per cent, and the Extremadura region, western Spain, 13 per cent. The largest decreases in cement consumption were registered in the Asturias region, northern Spain, and the Balearic Islands, off the east coast of Spain, 28 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively.

Spanish cement makers produced 14.6Mt of cement, a rise of 4.3 per cent YoY. Imports of cement and clinker increased 1.3 per cent to 2.4Mt. Most of the imports came from Egypt, Turkey and Russia. Spanish cement exports rose 19.6 per cent to 450,500t.