Argentina sees 7% rise in August demand

Cement consumption in Argentina increased 7.4 per cent to 1.122Mt in August 2017 from 1.044Mt in August 2016, according to the country’s cement association, AFCP. The organisation also noted a 10.3 per cent rise MoM from 1.017Mt in July 2017.

Domestic dispatches by Argentina’s cement producers increased 6.7 per cent YoY and 10.4 per MoM to 1.113Mt in August 2017. Volumes in August 2016 and July 2017 reached 1.043Mt and 1.008Mt, respectively. To meet market demand, some 9194t of cement were imported, up 5.8 per cent MoM and more than six times as much as in August 2016, when 1366t was imported.

The country’s cement producers also improved their export sales to 4031t, up 21.1 per cent from the year-ago period and up 6.4 per cent when compared with the previous month’s figure.

In the first eight months of the year, Argentinean cement consumption reached 7,657,205t, which represents a 10.4 per cent increase on 8M16, when 6,936,819t was sold. Domestic producers delivered 7,611,153t to the country’s market, representing a 9.8 per cent increase YoY. An additional supply of 46,052t was imported, a ten-fold rise from 4310t in 8M16.

However, over the cumulative period exports from domestic cement plants slipped three per cent YoY to 44,048t from 45,402t in the first eight months of 2016.