Cement consumption in Catalonia in August experienced a new decline of 10.1%, bringing the year-on-year rate to a decrease of 5.9%, with a volume of only 2.1 million tons. Production increased by 10.1% in August, but this was insufficient to reverse the negative result for the entire year, standing at -2.2% with a volume of 3.28 million tons. Cement and clinker exports in August dropped by 38.7% compared to the same month last year, while the volume over the past twelve months fell to 1.5 million tons (-23.0%).
Ciment Català, the industry association, explains that the low activity in cement factories is a consequence of the sluggishness affecting the entire construction sector. Particularly, as highlighted by its president, Salvador Fernández Capo, because “there is a significant and recurring lack of investment in facilities and infrastructure by public administrations.” He notes that the total of these investments is still well below the 2.2% of GDP recommended by economists and which represents the average figure for European standards.
The president of the cement industry uses the road network as an example. “In 2000,” he states, “Catalonia had 12,034 km of roads. By 2022, according to official figures from Idescat, this network had only expanded by 24 km. Meanwhile, over these 22 years, the number of vehicles has increased from 4 to 5.38 million”. He emphasizes this imbalance between public infrastructure investment and the country’s needs by reminding that “Catalonia’s GDP per capita has grown by 67% during the 2000-2022 period”. He concludes by asserting that “infrastructure is essential for the progress and future of our society and economy”.