Brazil: Cement sales in Brazil reached 15.9Mt in the first quarter of 2026, rising by 2% year-on-year, according to the National Cement Industry Union (SNIC). Sales in March 2026 totalled 5.80Mt, up by 9% year-on-year. The growth was supported by a strong labour market, rising employment and continued activity in the housing sector, including the Minha Casa Minha Vida programme (MCMV). The government’s goal of reaching 3 million units by the end of 2026 could reportedly increase cement demand by around 5Mt.
However, the sector continues to monitor interest rates, debt levels and labour shortages, despite a rise in consumer confidence in March 2026. SNIC said that the war between the US and Iran had ‘generated instability’ in markets and the global economy, which is directly reflected in international prices of oil and gas, causing concern regarding production and logistics costs. Around 90% of cement transport relies on road freight in Brazil, making costs sensitive to diesel prices. It added that co-processing using biomass, industrial waste and refuse-derived fuel had enabled a 30% thermal substitution rate, helping to avoid 2.8Mt of CO₂ emissions in the past year, while work continues on decarbonisation initiatives like the Net Zero 2050 Roadmap and the development of a national emissions trading system.
President of SNIC Paulo Camillo Penna said “Despite a resilient start to the year, the projection for 2026 is for moderate growth. The sector's performance will depend on internal aspects — such as inflation, interest rates, and economic activity — and external factors, linked to the end of the conflict and the duration of its effects. If, on the one hand, there is an effort to reindustrialise the country with government programmes being implemented, on the other hand, there are initiatives such as changes to working hours that, without the necessary technical analysis, are aggravated by occurring in a pre-election period. Furthermore, the regulation of freight price fixing without the necessary technical depth affects the stability, predictability, and resumption of growth in Brazilian industry.”
