In October, demand for cement in Peru reached 903,750t with exports adding a further 28,634t to the total delivery figure for the month. Local cement makers produced around 926,623t, according to Peru’s cement manufacturers’ association Asocem.

Between January-October 2012, deliveries of cement in the Peruvian market increased 16.6 per cent, reaching a total of 7.865Mt, reported Asocem.

Output increased 16.5 per cent YoY from 6.909Mt to 8.050Mt over the same period.

During the first 10 months of the year, Peru exported some 145,074t, more than doubling the 2011 figure of 48,194t.

Economic research analyst Héctor Saavedra, Maximixe consultancy, said that the increase in shipments is due to higher spending on infrastructure both in the private and public sectors. Increased public infrastructure spending combined with higher private investment in malls, supermarkets and infrastructure improvement, both in Lima and the provinces. In addition, the private sector has also continued to invest in mining infrastructure.