Argentina’s cement companies dispatched 1,032,119t of cement in March 2017, surpassing the previous record of March shipments, set in 2015 when 979,452t were delivered to customers.

The latest delivery volume is 15.5 per cent higher YoY and 28.7 per cent above the February 2017 level, according to AFCP, the country’s cement association.

For the first quarter of the year, dispatches are up 6.2 per cent when compared with January-March 2016.

The rise is attributed mainly to a significant increase in bulk deliveries while bagged cement also noted a rise but on a more modest level. This rise in bulk demand is led by the government’s investment into public works and to some extent, large private works. However, going forward it is expected that a reactivation of the private sector is on the cards following last Monday’s announcement by President Macri of the plan to construct 100,000 houses.