In 2021 cement producers in the Dominican Republic manufactured 6.5Mt of cement, supplying a construction industry that saw 23.4 per cent growth as the country started its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Domestic cement consumption saw a 26 per cent surge in 2021, reaching 5.5Mt. When compared with 2020, when output reached 5.17Mt, this represents an expansion of production of 25.7 per cent YoY, according to data from Adocem, the country’s cement association.

“Although the industry reflects a positive balance in terms of volume, the last two years have been truly challenging, since we have had to face the challenge of guaranteeing the continuity of our operations and the jobs of our people, given the problems of the supply chain and the continuous increase in the cost of almost all our essential supplies (electricity, fuel, spare parts, freight, etc), with increases that are in the order of 40 per cent to 100 per cent.” said Felix Gonzalez, president of Adocem.

However, cement is one of the construction inputs that has seen the lowest price increases (4.5 per cent) in 2021, despite a more than 40 per cent increase in production costs, said economic consultants DASA.