Puerto Rico: cement sales dip 2.3% in February

Puerto Rican cement sales in February slipped 2.3 per cent in February following a 0.2 per cent rise the previous month.

Cement sales in Puerto Rica have been declining since 2013 and last year, they contracted by 12.3 per cent YoY. In 2015 the domestic market contracted by 8.5 per cent after a 9.8 per cent fall in sales in 2014.

The decrease in cement sales has been attributed to the decline in the housing construction sector as well as the failure of the government to invest in infrastructure.

Cement output fell 28.7 per cent in February, the largest decrease noted in the last three months. In 2016 cement production fell by 11.5 per cent.