Cement deliveries in Switzerland, including Liechtenstein, edged up 0.4 per cent YoY to 795,114t in the first quarter of 2026 when compared with 792,266t in the 1Q25, according to the Swiss cement association, cemsuisse.
The construction industry is showing resilience. Although snowfall in the first three months – particularly in mountainous regions such as Valais and Graubünden – caused some challenges, many projects nevertheless got underway quickly. The fact that the result is slightly above the same quarter of the previous year, which itself had already recorded an increase, highlights the constant demand for Swiss quality cement. Construction activity remained stable, particularly in the infrastructure sector, but also in building construction and residential construction, despite seasonal challenges.
Around 73.7 per cent of Swiss cement deliveries in the 1Q26 was supplied to the ready-mix concrete market, down from 70 per cent in the 1Q25, followed by building companies, which accounted for 21 per cent (1Q25: 22.8 per cent). Smaller markets included concrete products (five per cent) and distribution warehouses (1.3 per cent).
Sector decarbonisation continues
The share of CO2-reduced cements continues to rise. The cement industry is investing heavily in product innovation and the distribution of new cements to consistently reduce its environmental footprint. Of total deliveries, CEM II cements accounted for 97.98 per cent or 779,021t. CEM I cement deliveries reached 11,573t, or 1.46 per cent YoY, and CEM II dispatches 4519t, or 0.57 per cent.
However, the decarbonisation of the sector's transport remains challenging. Approximately 531,967t (66.9 per cent) were delivered by road transport, while 263,147t (33.1 per cent) were supplied by rail. This represents a shift towards road transport when compared with the 1Q25, when 504,720t, or 63.71 per cent, was supplied by road. This trend highlights the difficult conditions in Swiss single-wagonload transport. “The industry continues to monitor the framework conditions in rail freight transport with concern, as rail transport is an important element for achieving climate goals,” says cemsuisse Director Stefan Vannoni. However, the share has been declining steadily for months due to worsening price-performance ratios.
