Japan cement shipments totalled 5.87Mt in August 2005, up 3.7 per cent year-on-year, the Japan Cement Association said on October 28, 2005. The figure marked a year-on-year increase for the second consecutive month. The increase can be put down to brisk domestic cement demand as well as to strong exports to the Middle East and Africa.
Domestic cement shipments stood at 4.97Mt in September 2005, up 2.7 per cent, also marking a year-on-year increase for the second straight month. Overseas cement shipments went up 9.6 per cent to 895,000t, marking a year-on-year increase for the first time in two months. Cement inventories stood at 3.8Mt in September 2005, down 3.7 per cent month-on-month, remaining below the 4.0mt mark for the 10th consecutive month.
