Cement deliveries in the Peruvian market reached 9,571,920t in 2012, a 15.4 per cent rise when compared with 2011, according to cement manufacturers’ association Asocem.

Exports more than doubled from 67,512t to 200,485t despite a buoyant domestic market. As a result, total cement dispatches expanded by 16.9 per cent to 9,772,404t from the previous year’s 8,361,633t.

Senior analyst at the Economic Research Department of Scotiabank, Pablo Nano, said the increased sales of cement in Peru can be attributed to the strength of the construction sector, which led the growth of the economy in 2012. "There was an increase in private investment in the real estate segment, specifically for the construction of houses and shops," he commented.

Last year, Peru’s cement factories produced 9,847,026t, representing an increase of 15.9 per cent YoY. In 2011, output registered at 8,498,600t.

The information collected by Asocem is provided by Cemento Andino, Cementos Lima, Cementos Pacasmayo, Cementos Yura and Cementos Cementos Selva Sur.