Argentina’s cement market contracted 27.6 per cent YoY in April 2016, according to the latest data from Asociación de Fábricas de Cemento Portland (AFCP). Total cement sales, including exports, fell 31 per cent during the period.

The fall in domestic sales has been attributed to the economic recession and the decision by the government to delay key infrastructure works.

As a result, the country’s cement association now forecasts cement dispatches for 2016 to reach 10.5Mt, some 13.4 per cent below 2015. Earlier forecasts had put cement demand in 2016 at 11Mt.