Colombian April demand increases 4.3%

The Colombian cement market expanded by 4.3 per cent YoY in April 2014 as 0.957Mt were delivered to domestic customers, according to the latest report from national statistics office, Dane.

Major dispatch growth was noted in Norte de Santander (35.3 per cent), Huila (18 per cent), Bolívar (10.3 per cent) and Antioquia (6.5 per cent). Córdoba’s cement consumption fell by 30.1 per cent.

Grey cement production reached 1.0289Mt in April, registering a 15.9 per cent YoY increase. The rise has been attributed to a more active civil and housing construction sector. 

In the first four months of 2014, Colombian demand has expanded by 11.6 per cent YoY, reaching 3.7372Mt while production experienced a similar increase of 11.8 per cent with 3.8529Mt leaving factory gates. In terms of dispatches, Norte de Santander saw the largest growth in demand at 52.9 per cent, followed by Magdalena (38 per cent) and Huila (34.2 per cent). Consumption in Cundinamarca and Antioquia rose by 17.1 and 15.1 per cent, respectively.