Argentina sees cement demand fall 11% in 2016

Argentina’s cement consumption edged up 0.7 per cent YoY to 940,081t in December 2016, but fell 7.2 per cent MoM, according to provisional figures released by the country’s cement association, AFCP.

The country’s producers supplied 946,480t of cement in December 2016, some seven per cent less than in November, but 0.9 per cent extra to the volume supplied in December 2015.

While most of this output was delivered to the domestic market, there was a significant YoY increase in shipments across the border. Exports in December rose 119.9 per cent YoY but slipped 0.1 per cent MoM to 10,563t from 4803t in December 2015 and 10,575t in November 2016.

Domestic output was supplemented by 4164t of cement imports in December, representing a 29.4 per cent fall when compared with the previous month but a 7336 per cent increase against the 56t imported in December 2015.

For full-year 2016, Argentina’s cement demand declined by 10.7 per cent from 12,125,033t in 2015 to 10,822,732t one year later. Production saw a similar decline, falling from 12,190,170t in 2015 to 10,879,318t in 2016.

In terms of trade, exports fell 9.3 per cent YoY to 81,798t in 2016 from 90.155t the year prior while imports crept up 0.8 per cent to 25,212t in 2016 from 25,018t in 2015.