Cement consumption in Spain began 2026 with a marginal decline of 0.3 per cent in January, totalling 1,098,852t. This slight dip is largely attributed to adverse weather conditions, as the month was recorded as one of the wettest Januaries in the last 25 years. This follows a robust 2025 fiscal year, which concluded with an 11.3 per cent overall increase in consumption, reaching 16,575,230t.
Despite the strong performance in 2025—bolstered by a 17.4 per cent surge in December—industry body Oficemen remains cautious. They note that national consumption remains below 20Mt, a threshold more consistent with the current needs of Spain’s housing and infrastructure sectors.The industry is currently grappling with significant shifts in external trade. Exports plummeted by 10.1 per cent in 2025 and continued to fall by 11.4 per cent this January. Conversely, imports soared by nearly 39 per cent last year, reaching their highest level since 2010. This surge is primarily driven by clinker purchases from Mediterranean countries that lack the stringent decarbonisation mandates of the European Union.
Oficemen attributes this import spike to a stockpiling effect ahead of the full implementation of the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The organisation stresses that while CBAM is vital to combat climate dumping and carbon leakage, it must be balanced with free emission allowances to ensure European producers remain competitive and prevent further erosion of the export market.
