According to statistics provided by China Cement Association, China’s demand for cement will keep growing in the fourth quarter of this year, but the growth will slow down. Meanwhile, fiercer competition on domestic market has to certain extent boosted cement export. It is expected that China’ cement export this year will double the figure in 2004 to reach 18Mt. As for prices, cement price in Beijing and Guangzhou in October was basically the same as in September, while that in Shanghai and Hangzhou slipped.
As the oversupply situation has not changed, experts predict that cement prices in China will go on slipping in the fourth quarter of this year. But as cement market in enters busy season in South China and slack season in North China in the quarter, market price in South and North China may present different trends, with cement enterprises in North China set to make profit and those in South China in little hope for getting rid of loss.
