Cement consumption in Catalonia region, northeastern Spain, reached 6Mt in the 12 months to October 2003, a 6.3 per cent year-on-year increase, the Association of Cement Producers in the region said.  The record-high rise in demand resulted from increased residential building construction. The sales of cement companies in the region totalled 5.87Mt in the period from October 2002 to October 2003. Imports of cement rose 22.9 per cent to 660,000t while exports decreased by 23.6 per cent to 360,000t for the same period. Cement demand in Spain reached 39.14Mt in the first 10 months of 2003, a 4.11 per cent year-on-year increase, according to the Spanish Cement Makers Association OFICEMEN. Cement production stood at 37.4Mt from January to October 2003, a 5.6 per cent year-on-year increase. In the first 10 months of 2003, exports totalled 1.1Mt, up 13.9 per cent year-on-year, while imports were 6.63Mt, a 4.6 per cent year-on-year rise.