Cement consumption in Catalonia has started strongly this 2017, with a total of almost 275 thousand tons during the months of January and February. The increase is due to the recovery of the residential building sector and the construction of two major works in the Baix Llobregat: the logistics center of Amazon and the Airport Shuttle.
Update: these figures are consolidated at March 2017
This figure represents an increase of more than 19% compared to the first two months of 2016, an increase that is moderated if we take into account the entire last year, since it only reaches 9%. By contrast, sales in foreign markets have suffered a sharp decline of 27%.
Despite the singularity of the beginning of 2017, the activity of the sector continues at unfitted levels for an economy like the Catalan. The consumption per capita is only 220 kg per inhabitant per year, far from the average of the European Union countries, which is above 350 kg. It remains to be seen, too, if the January trend is consolidated in the coming months.