Italy cement output cools in April

Italian cement output has cooled in recent months. Output shrank two per cent YoY in April, adding to the 11 per cent YoY contraction reported in March, according to the latest data from Italian concrete association, Federbeton. This follows four consecutive months of expansion. 

In year-to-date terms, cement output rose one per cent YoY in the January-April period. Strong local government and infrastructure spending will underpin cement demand in 2024. 

Import and export data, which lag production data, show grey cement imports jumped 37 per cent YoY to 196,306t in February, with a total CIF value of EUR16.9m or EUR86/t as value per tonne. Meanwhile, grey cement exports fell four per cent to 120,111t in February, with a total FOB value of EUR12.2m or EUR102/t.