Turkish cement and clinker producer Cimentas achieved all-time high exports of 900,000t of cement and clinker in 2003. Cimentas exports exceeded its domestic sales in 2003, according to the company’s management board chairman Walter Montevecchi. The company seeks to achieve a similar performance in sales on the domestic market, Montevecchi said.

Cimentas’ consolidated profit totalled 10.4 trln Turkish lira (US$6.8m) in 2003.  Cimentas was bought by Italian Cementir, the cement making unit of construction firm Caltagirone, for US$240m in 2001.

Cement consumption in Turkey grew by four per cent YoY to 28Mt, Montevecchi said. Despite this, cement consumption was still well below the level of 34 million tonnes registered in 1998, he added.