Recent acquisition activity in the Italian cement industry is being seen as a welcome step towards improved utilisation rates, higher pricing and better company earnings. But with the industry still highly fragmented it is widely believed that another round of industry restructuring is needed to reduce the number of plants and make the industry sustainable over the long term.
Italy is Europe’s second-largest cement industry and after suffering declines in demand every year since reaching a peak in 2006, the domestic market finally appears to have turned a corner. Following a 3.4 per cent contraction in 2016 to 18.93Mt, this year a moderate single-digit increase is expected, followed by a further slight advance in 2018.
