Cement sales in the Dominican Republic increased 5.2 per cent YoY in the January-June 2019 period, according to the country’s cement association, Adocem.

Output from domestic cement plants rose by 2.7 per cent YoY to 2.812Mt in the same period. For the full-year, forecasts indicate that cement production will increase by eight per cent YoY to 4.8Mt in 2019.

"The Dominican Republic has gone from being a net importer of cement to being self-sufficient and exporting approximately 20 per cent of its production, along with the demands imposed by the markets, especially with the new commercial order in which international trade is developed,” said Adriano Brunetti, president of Adocem.

Cement demand advanced on the back of a recovering construction sector in the first quarter of 2019 as construction activity expanded by 12.5 per cent, according to central bank data. Low-cost and medium-sized real estate projects, roadworks, as well as projects in the tourism, commercial and energy sector have driven the sector’s revival.