Uruguayan market expands by 8% in 2020

Cement sales in Uruguay increased 34.6 per cent YoY to 251,000t in the fourth quarter of 2020, according to the country’s chamber of industry, CIU. Of this total, 89 per cent or 223,290t were delivered to the domestic market, which expanded by 44.1 per cent YoY to around 257,000t in the 4Q20 from 179,000t in the 4Q19. Around 13 per cent, or 33,710t of Uruguayan demand was covered by imports.

In addition, cement producers exported 11 per cent or 27,610t of sales, mainly to Paraguay. In 4Q19 exports reached 9000t, an historical low.

Full-year 2020
Total cement sales in 2020 advanced 14 per cent YoY to 824,926t from 723,586t in 2019. Sales to the Uruguayan market expanded by 7.7 per cent from 696,962t in 2019 to 750,699t in 2020. Domestic supply was supplemented by 67,055t of imports, which accounted for 8.2 per cent of demand, slightly down on 8.4 per cent in the previous year, when 63,914t was imported. Total Uruguayan cement demand reached 817,755t, up 7.5 per cent from 760,876t in 2019.

Exports surged to 74,227t in 2020 from 26,626t in the previous year.