Puerto Rican sales decline 11% in May

Puerto Rican cement sales fell 11.1 per cent YoY to 1.21m bags, or 51,425t, in May, following a 13.9 per cent drop in April. Output from local cement plants was off by one third to 1m bags (42,500t). The May data represent the fourth-consecutive monthly decline since sales started to fall in February, reversing their 13-month climb, according to Sin Comillas.

Total demand (including imports) in 2018 increased by 38.9 per cent YoY to 607,750t (14.3m bags) from 437,750t (10.3m bags) in 2017. In 2016 cement sales reached 492,504t (11.6m bags). Of this total, the local industry delivered 561,000t (13.2m bags) in 2018.