In the first five months of the year, Azerbaijan produced 1.1Mt of cement, a 40 per cent increase compared to the same period of 2013. The rise in domestic output has been attributed to the entry of new players in the local market and declining imports.

Imports in the first five months of the year amounted to US$50m compared to US$61.5m, a drop of 19 per cent YoY. Going forward, the dependence of imports is expected to fall by 20 per cent in 2014-2015, according to industry sources.