Cement demand in Spain fell by nine per cent YoY to 1,137,773t in September 2023, according to the country’s cement association, Oficemen. Exports declined by 6.8 per cent to 391,566t in September when compared with the year-ago month.

In the January-September 2023 period, demand contracted by 1.6 per cent YoY to 10,945,946t. Exports for the nine-month period decreased by 3.4 per cent YoY to 4,118,192t.

“Since June we have now recorded four months of decline, a situation that we observe with concern from the sector and that marks a change in trend compared to the first months of the year. In the background we perceive not one, but multiple causes, an increasingly uncertain international environment, inflation, political uncertainty after the electoral processes... All of these are factors that ultimately affect private work, due to the degree of business uncertainty, and also in the execution of public works,” indicates the general director of Oficemen, Aniceto Zaragoza.