Grey cement dispatches in Colombia increased 13.7 per cent to 1.068Mt in March 2025 when compared with March 2024, when 0.94Mt was delivered, according to the country's statistics office, DANE.
Bagged cement sales advanced by 117.7 per cent YoY while bulk sales were up by 5.9 per cent. This reflects a 22 per cent YoY increase in the retail/wholesale sector while ready-mix concrete companies saw a moderate pick-up in sales of 2.3 per cent. Construction companies and contractors increased their off-take by 6.2 per cent YoY.
Production by Colombian cement plants increased 6.3 per cent YoY to 1.184Mt in March 2025 from 1.114Mt.
January-March 2025
In the first quarter of 2025, domestic deliveries edged up 1.5 per cent YoY to 2.911Mt from 2.869Mt. Bagged cement deliveries were up five per cent YoY but bulk dispatches fell 5.5 per cent YoY.
Dispatches to the retail/wholesale segment improved by 8.1 per cent, but sales to ready-mix companies were down by 6.3 per cent YoY. In addition, dispatches to construction companies and contractors fell 4.5 per cent YoY.
In terms of regional sales, dispatches to the Bogotá market increased by 11.1 per cent YoY while in Antioquia sales edged up by two per cent YoY. Valle del Cauca saw a 3.1 per cent pick-up but sales growth in Cundinamarca was more modest at 0.3 per cent. Dispatches contracted in Atlántico and Santander by five and 0.6 per cent, respectively. However, in the Bolívar market there was a 13.4 per cent YoY expansion.
Meanwhile, on the supply side, output slipped one per cent to 3.18Mt in the 1Q25 from 3.212Mt in the 1Q24.
