Spanish cement demand growth decelerates

Cement demand in Spain saw its growth slow to 7.6 per cent in March 2018, when compared with the previous month, according Oficemen’s Cement Demand Index (IDC).

For the rolling year, from April 2017 to March 2018, consumption rose to 12.4Mt, an increase of 0.9Mt when compared with the same period in the previous year.

While the latest market expansion represents 13 months of growth, the March data point to a strong deceleration of growth. Oficemen has attributed this slowdown to the effects of Holy Week and the heavy rainfall in March.

Exports continued to decline in March due to high power prices and a strong rise in CO₂ emission rights.