The French cement market continues to contract with the country’s cement association, SFIC, released its provisional November 2014 data. Market demand fell 11.8 per cent YoY to 1.347Mt against a 10.6 per cent YoY drop noted the previous month, when domestic cement sales reached 1.726Mt.

However, for the year to date, decreases in France’s cement demand are more moderate. The first 10 months saw a fall of 4.8 per cent to 15.652Mt from 16.449Mt in 10M13. Provisional 11M14 data indicate a larger contraction of 5.4 per cent from 17.975Mt to just under 17Mt.

The downward trend in domestic cement sales has also impacted imported cement, which noted a YoY fall in October and November 2014 of 17 and 12.1 per cent, respectively. As a result, imports reached 142,000t in October and 153,000t in November. Total 11M14 imports fell by nearly eight per cent to 1.597Mt.

Moreover, French cement producers have found little relief in the export markets as cement and clinker exports in October fell by nine and 12 per cent, respectively, leaving total exports down by 9.6 per cent at 123,000t. Provisional November data indicate a further, 29.5 per cent fall in cement exports to 79,000t, but clinker exports were up 50 per cent to 9000t. Total exports for the month reached 88,000t, down 25.4 per cent YoY.

For 11M14, domestic producers exported 987,000t of cement (-13.3 per cent YoY) and 165,000t of clinker (-10.3 per cent YoY), resulting in a total export figure for the period of 1.152Mt. This represents a 12.9 per cent decline when compared with 11M13, when exports reached 1.323Mt.