The Peruvian cement market expanded 2% in March

Peru’s cement consumption rose 1.9 per cent YoY to 816,000t and one per cent MoM from 824,000t in February 2018, according to the national cement association, Asocem.

Cement producers delivered a total of 791,000t of cement to the domestic and export markets, up two per cent YoY and 4.7 per cent MoM. In February total dispatches reached 756,000t. Domestic deliveries rose 2.6 per cent YoY to 767,000t and 4.3 per cent MoM from 735,000t in February 2018.

Cement production in March increased 4.2 per cent YoY to 821,000t. When compared with the previous month, output went up 9.3 per cent from 751,000t. Clinker production slipped by 1.5 per cent to 609,000t when compared with March 2017 but increased by eight per cent MoM from 564,000t.

Exports of cement fell 9.3 per cent YoY to 24,000t but increased from 20,000t the previous month. Clinker exports saw an eight per cent improvement MoM from 88,000t to 96,000t in March 2018.

Cement imports dropped to 49,000t in March 2018, some 8.3 per cent below the March 2017 total and a 44.6 per cent decrease from the 88,000t that entered Peru the previous month. Cement imports originated largely in Vietnam, which accounts for 82 per cent of total imports, followed by China (14 per cent) and Mexico (two per cent). Clinker imports were mainly received from South Korea, which had a 77 per cent share in the clinker import volume. Japan imported an additional 14 per cent while Vietnam accounted for nine per cent of the total.

First-quarter 2018
In the first three months of 2018, domestic cement consumption edged up 2.8 per cent YoY to 2.5Mt from 2.443Mt in 1Q17. Of this total 200,000t were imported.

Cement imports have increased 10.7 per cent YoY to 200,000t YoY while cement imports have jumped 65.3 per cent YoY to 219,000t.

Cement exports fell 5.1 per cent YoY to 74,000t from 78,000t but clinker exports saw a considerable hike from 21,000t in 1Q17 to 252,000t in 1Q18.