Demand for cement in Peru has increased 6.3 per cent YoY to 1.052Mt in August 2019 when compared with 0.989Mt in the year-ago period, according to the country’s cement association, Asocem.

Domestic dispatches advanced 6.4 per cent to 1.043Mt in August, up from 0.981Mt in August 2018 and 0.982Mt in July 2019.

Output from Peru’s cement plants was up 7.5 per cent to 0.965Mt in August from 0.897Mt in the previous-year’s period.

In terms of external trade, the country imported 48,300t of cement, representing a YoY fall of 31 per cent, and 42,200t of clinker, down 40 per cent YoY. Domestic cement producers exported 13,400t of cement, a YoY fall of 36 per cent but were able to lift clinker exports by seven per cent YoY to 36,300t.

January-August 2019
In the first eight months of 2019 Peruvian cement consumption rose 4.8 per cent to 7.55Mt, up from 7.202Mt in January-August 2018.

Production was 6.842Mt during the eight-month period, representing an increase of 5.9 per cent when compared with 6.462Mt of cement manufactured in the 8M18. Domestic output was supplemented with 540,300t of cement imports (-10.4 per cent YoY) and 444.1Mt of clinker imports (-18.2 per cent YoY).

Cement exports decreased 28.5 per cent YoY to 132,100t while clinker exports saw a 14.4 per cent drop to 654,000t over the same period.