Colombian market expands 8.8% in July

Growth in Colombian cement demand continues as dispatches increased 8.8 per cent YoY to 1.152Mt, according to DANE, the country's statistics office. Key markets were Antioquia (15 per cent of total demand), Bogota (13.4 per cent) and Cundinamarca (9.2 per cent).

Output edged up 3.1 per cent to 1.111Mt. Some 65 per cent of dispatches is bagged cement with bulk deliveries taking up just over a third.

In the January-July period domestic cement consumption expanded seven per cent YoY to total 7.220Mt. The largest positive variation was noted in Nariño (+57.1 per cent), Cesar (+30.7 per cent), Magdalena (+23.5 per cent), Bolivar (+18.1 per cent) and Risaralda (+17.5 per cent). Antioquia’s cement sales rose by 11 per cent while Bogotá saw growth 6.8 per cent. Cundinamarca sales slipped by 0.7 per cent.

In the Jan-Jul period, production reached 7.361Mt, up 5.4 per cent when compared with the same period a year ago.