Moroccan demand slips 0.7% YoY in March

Morocco’s cement demand fell 0.7 per cent YoY in March from 1.334Mt in March 2016 to 1.324Mt one year later.

While the Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dehab region saw sales soar by 27.7 per cent YoY to 8042t, advances were more modest in Fès-Meknès (+19.13 per cent to 125,085t) and Souss-Massa (+12.8 per cent to 127,584t). However, Morocco’s key markets all saw sales contract. Casablanca-Settat experienced a 2.1 per cent drop to 292,487t, the Marrakech-Safi market shrunk by 8.3 per cent to 163,902t and Tanger-Tétouan-Al Houceim market by 7.8 per cent to 163,237t.

In the first quarter of 2017, domestic demand decreased by 4.7 per cent to 3.555Mt when compared with 1Q16, when 3.732Mt was sold. Bucking the trend were Guelmim-Oued Noun (+64.8 per cent YoY, to 56,187t), Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dehab (+27.6 per cent to 21,681t), Souss-Massa (+8.8 per cent to 334,452t) and Fès-Meknès (+6 per cent to 324,339t). However, the country’s four largest markets all saw sales drop when compared with 1Q16. Casablanca-Settat experienced a 5.2 per cent drop to 802,442t. Consumption in Marrakech-Safi decreased by 12.5 per cent to 442,528t, in Rabat-Salé-Kénitra by 4.3 per cent to 438,114t and in Tanger-Tétouan-Al Houceim market by nine per cent to 437,976t.