Bolivia cement sales up 6.6% in 1Q13

Between Jan-Mar 2013, cement sales in Bolivia reached 671,078t, representing an increase of 6.6 per cent YoY, according to the Ministry of Economy and Public Finances.

In 2012, 2.7Mt of cement were sold, up from 2.6Mt the year before and reflecting a steady rise since 2010, when sales were 2.4Mt.

Cement producers expect that cement demand in 2013 will see a 10 per cent advance on last year.

In terms of imports, Oscar Sandi, director of the state-owned Insumos Bolivia, said imports in the past few months had declined to less than 8000t, due to the low-season of civil construction, which he expects to last until the end of next July. In 2012, Insumos Bolivia imported around 10,000t of cement.