Cement sales in Brazil declined five per cent to 4.881Mt in February 2026 from 5.137Mt in February 2025, according to data published by the country’s cement association, SNIC.
The association has attributed the drop in sales to February’s fewer days and the high volume of rain, particularly in the southeast and central-west regions. However, the sector continued to be supported by a strong real estate market, which saw a 5.4 per cent rise in sales and a 10.6 per cent increase in launches. In addition, labour market indicators showed that unemployment was at 5.1 per cent, the lowest level since 2012, and a record wage bill. Downside factors included elevated household debt and a 15 per cent Selic rate, as well as a growing labour shortage on construction sites.
The country’s largest market, the southeast, reported an 8.7 per cent drop YoY to 2.161Mt from 2.366Mt, while in the northeast sales slipped by 0.6 per cent YoY to 1.078Mt from 1.084Mt in February 2025. The largest market contraction was seen in the central-western region, where an 11.6 per cent drop was reported as sales fell to 0.501Mt from 0.567Mt over the same period. However, in the south demand was up one per cent to 0.898Mt in February 2026 from 0.889Mt in February 2025, while the country’s smallest market, the north, saw a 5.2 per cent YoY uptick in sales to 0.243Mt from 0.231Mt in February 2025.
Exports were down 80 per cent YoY to 1000t in February 2026 from 5000t in the year-ago period.
January-February 2026
In the first two months of 2026, domestic sales slipped by 1.9 per cent YoY to 10.145Mt from 10.340Mt as dispatches in the southeast contracted by 6.7 per cent YoY to 4.418Mt from 4.736Mt, representing the largest decrease countrywide. In the central-west sales were down 4.4 per cent YoY to 1.059Mt from 1.108Mt while in the south, a 0.5 per cent decrease to 1.784Mt from 1.793Mt was reported for the same period. However, in the northeast sales advanced by 6.8 per cent YoY to 2.378Mt in the January-February 2026 period from 2.227Mt while in the north they were up 6.3 per cent YoY to 0.506Mt from 0.476Mt.
Exports fell by 54.5 per cent YoY to 5000t from 11,000t in the 2M25.
