Colombian cement consumption declines 8% in March

Cement dispatches in Colombia fell 7.5 per cent YoY to 1.163Mt in March 2023 from 1.257Mt in March 2022, according to national statistics agency, DANE.

While deliveries of bulk cement edged up by 0.8. per cent YoY, reflecting 3.5 per cent growth in the ready-mix concrete segment market in March 2023, bagged cement sales were down 11.2 per cent yoY as construction companies and contractors reported a 13.6 per cent contraction and the off-take by the retail sector dropped by 11.5 per cent when compared with the year-ago period.

Output from the country’s cement plans declined by 8.2 per cent YoY to 1.231Mt in March 2023 from 1.342Mt.

January-March 2023
Dispatches in the first three months of 2023 decreased by 5.3 per cent YoY to 3.151Mt from 3.328Mt in the 3M22.

Bulk cement sales increased by 0.7 per cent YoY in the first quarter of 2023 as ready-mix concrete companies expanded their off take by 4.4 per cent. Bagged cement sales were down by 8.1 per cent YoY as cement sales to construction companies and contractors were down by 15.3 per cent YoY and the retail sector segment reduced its off take by 7.4 per cent.

Domestic production levels were down 2.7 per cent YoY to 3.42Mt in the January-March 2023 period from 3.516Mt in the 3M22.