China exported less cement in the first eight months of this year as a result of ebbing demand in developed nations and more difficult market access at home and less export rebates, sources with the General Administration of Customs said Saturday.

Mounting demand for post-disaster reconstruction at home, especially in the southwestern province of Sichuan, which suffered a major earthquake on May 12 and following aftershocks, also contributed to the decrease in exports, the sources added.

From January and August, China sold abroad 18.65Mt of cement for US$760m, a decline of 22.4 per cent and 6.8 per cent, respectively, from the same period of last year.

Exports to the United States and European Union went down drastically while that to Africa increased.

In the eight months, China sold 3.71Mt of cement to Africa, up 29.3 percent, 3.28Mt to the European Union, down 56.4 per cent, and 1.82Mt to the United States, down 52.1 per cent.

Of the total exports, 57.2 percent, or 10.66Mt, were sold by state-owned enterprises, down 19 percent, 4.57 Mt by foreign-funded companies, down 23.8 per cent, and 3.099Mt by private businesses, down 21.6 per cent.

Source: Xinhua