Displaying items by tag: Argentina

Argentina: Cement despatches rose by 28% year-on-year to 844,000t in April 2025, compared to 661,319t in April 2024, according to data from the Asociación de Fabricantes de Cemento Portland (AFCP). Total despatches for the first four months of 2025 reached 3.18Mt, up by 15% year-on-year from 2.76Mt in the previous corresponding period.

Domestic consumption, including imports, rose by 28% year-on-year to 837,000t in April 2025, from 655,000t in April 2024. Total consumption increased by 15% to 3.14Mt for the first four months of 2025.

It’s been a strong start to 2025 for the Brazilian cement sector. The National Cement Industry Union (SNIC) reported recently that cement sales in the first quarter of 2025 have been the strongest since 2015. Producers sold 15.6Mt in the three month period, a rise of 5.9% year-on-year from 14.7Mt in the same period in 2024.

The result has been attributed to a growing real estate market boosted by housing schemes such as the ongoing Minha Casa Minha Vida programme. SNIC also noted a growing labour market and wage increases, although sales from infrastructure projects failed to keep up. Unfortunately, SNIC is wary of whether the positive news will continue in the second half of 2025. Risks such as interest rates, growing general debt levels and the effects of any potential international trade wars all lie ahead.

Graph 1: Cement production in Brazil, 2017 - 2024. Production estimated for 2024 based on National Cement Industry Union (SNIC) preliminary data on sales. Source: SNIC.

Based on preliminary SNIC data from December 2024, the country likely had its best year in 2024 since the market peaked in the mid-2010s. Cement sales were reported to have risen by 3.9% to 64.7Mt in 2024. Consumption was 73Mt. An estimate of production based on the same rate of growth suggests that cement production may have grown to 69Mt in 2024 from 66.5Mt in 2023.

The three main cement companies - Votorantim Cimentos, InterCement and CSN - each reported domestic earnings growth in 2024. In Votorantim’s case net revenue in Brazil was flat in 2024 at US$1.39bn but its adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 4% year-on-year to US$390m supported by higher prices, volumes and lower costs. InterCement has been in a debt resolution process since December 2024, which will be discussed below. Its sales volumes of cement were flat at 8.6Mt and sales revenue fell by 6.6% to US$557m. Yet, adjusted EBITDA rose by 10.2% to US$135m. CSN’s sales volumes of cement increased by 5.9% to 13.5Mt and its cement business sales revenue by 5.7% to US$810m. However, its adjusted EBITDA zoomed ahead by 39.5% to US$231m. The group attributed its higher sales volumes of cement to its strategy of focusing on logistics and distribution centres to target new markets, build market share and boost synergies.

As covered by Global Cement Weekly previously, InterCement has been trying to sell assets since at least the early 2010s. High debt levels have been a problem more recently and the company entered into judicial recovery, a court-led debt recovery process, in December 2024. How this process plays out should inform the nature of any subsequent divestment of assets. InterCement attempted to sell its subsidiary in Argentina, Loma Nega, to CSN in 2024. Unfortunately, this reportedly failed due to the appreciation of Loma Negra and due to disagreements between bondholders and shareholders of parent company Mover, according to the Valor Econômico newspaper. At home in Brazil, Buzzi, CSN, Huaxin Cement, Polimix, Vicat and Votorantim have all been linked to a potential sale of InterCement assets in a piecemeal fashion. Votorantim, in particular, is expected to face opposition from the local competition regulator CADE if it attempted to buy all of InterCement’s cement plants.

It’s positive to see the cement industry in Brazil starting to reach the sales levels last recorded in 2014. SNIC, understandably, isn't taking anything for granted. It’s warned of more modest growth in 2025, compared to the strong opening quarter, with levels forecast to be somewhere between 1 - 1.5%. It says that this will depend on the “evolution of the economy, monetary policy and investments in infrastructure and housing.” It has also warned of “uncertainties arising from the US.” The other big ‘if’ is whether InterCement can actually start selling cement plants in 2025. Time will tell.

Argentina: Cement despatches in the first three months of 2025 reached 2.3Mt, up by 11% from the same period in 2024. In March 2025, despatches rose by 17% year-on-year and by 1% month-on-month from 0.63Mt and 0.73Mt respectively. The country exported 7791t of cement in March 2025, bringing the year-to-date total for exports to 24,971t. Argentina imported 61t in March 2025 and 618t so far in 2025.

Argentina: Cement production reached 0.74Mt in February 2025, up by 9% from 0.68Mt in February 2024, according to the Asociación de Fabricantes de Cemento Portland. Of this, exports contributed 8855t, from 5384t in February 2024, representing an increase of 64% year-on-year. Domestic cement consumption stood at 0.73Mt, an 8% rise from 0.68Mt in the same month of 2024. Of this, imports contributed 212t, a fall of 76% from 919t in February 2024. ​

Argentina: Cement despatches rose by 9% year-on-year to 0.84Mt in January 2025, the Association of Portland Cement Manufacturers (AFCP) has reported. This marks the first increase following 21 consecutive months of decline. The country recorded its lowest volume of cement despatches in 15 years in 2024 due to government capital expenditure cuts. In December 2024, despatches fell by 5% year-on-year, following 12 months of declines exceeding 40%.

Argentina: Cement despatches dropped by 24% year-on-year to 9.56Mt in 2024, the lowest annual level reported since 2009, according to the Association of Portland Cement Manufacturers. Total dispatches in 2024 reached 9.5Mt, 24% lower compared to 2023 when dispatches were 12.5Mt. Dispatches in December 2024 showed the lowest yearly percentage decline, falling by 5% year-on-year to 0.77Mt, 12% less than was recorded in November 2024. This marks 21 consecutive months of declines. The declines recorded from December 2023 coincide with the decision announced by President Javier Milei to end the execution of public works by the national government.

Argentina: Cement shipments remained below pandemic and pre-pandemic levels in October 2024, which marked the sixth decline so far in 2024, according to Clarion newspaper. October 2024 saw shipments down by 20% year-on-year and 1.1% month-on-month, according to the Portland Cement Manufacturing Association (AFCP). In October 2024, sales dropped to 907,421t. 7.9Mt of cement was sold in the first 10 months of 2024 compared to 10.7Mt in the same period in 2023. Consumption also suffered a year-on-year decrease of 20% ​​and a monthly decline of 1.3%. The industry attributes the downturn primarily to a halt in national public works, as well as rising costs such as taxes on limestone and quarry exploitation fees.

Damián Altgelt, executive director of AFCP, said "The cement sector is going through a difficult year, with a drop of close to 25% compared to 2023. We confidently hope that the macroeconomic measures that the government is undertaking will allow us to overcome this transition period soon and recover the highest levels of activity again. In the past four months we have seen around 0.9Mt of cement sold (per month), which is clearly higher than the very depressed levels we had in the first half of 2024.”

Argentina: Holcim Argentina has introduced the first 100% electric mining truck in the quarry mining industry in Mendoza Province, according to the company. The ‘Pure Electric Mining’ truck, belonging to the XGMT brand, is reportedly set to reduce CO₂ emissions by more than 225t/yr. It also claims to offer further benefits, including reduced operating costs and improved raw material homogeneity. The truck can transport up to 72t and has an energy recovery braking system, allowing the battery to be charged during braking to reduce energy consumption and improve operating efficiency.

Head of decarbonisation at Holcim Argentina, engineer Marilina Moro, said “Sustainability is at the core of our strategy, and as part of this path, we aim to reduce our impact on the planet. That means transforming each of our processes throughout the company's value chain.”

Argentina/Mexico/Spain: Holcim has appointed Pablo Bittar as the Country CEO of Argentina, Christian Dedeu as the Country CEO of Mexico and Ricardo de Pablos as the Country CEO of Spain. Dedeu succeeds Jaime Hill, who has become Region Head North America. Bittar succeeds Dedeu. De Pablos succeeds Carmen Díaz, who has been appointed as the Chief People Officer in Holcim Group.

Dedeu previously worked as the CEO for Holcim Argentina from 2020. Before this he was the Commercial Director for the company in the country. He originally started working for Holcim in Argentina in 2007 before moving to Holcim Costa Rica in 2016 where he eventually became Commercial Director (Central America). Earlier in his career he worked for ExxonMobil in Argentina from the late 1990s. He is a graduate from the University of El Salvador in Buenos Aires and holds a Master in Business Administration from the IAE Business School.

Bittar worked for Holcim Argentina from late 1990s until 2012, eventually becoming a Procurement Officer. He then worked for Holcim in Ecuador and Colombia becoming the Head of Supply Chain Latin America in 2023. Bittar is an qualified accountant from the National University of Córdoba with a master’s degree in business administration from the same institution.

De Pablos joined Holcim in 2005. He became Regional Director Aggregates in Spain in 2009, Director Mediterranean Area in Spain in 2012, Export Director in 2016 and Director of Business Development and Exports in 2022. Prior to working for Holcim he was a Senior Consultant for PriceWaterhouseCoopers. De Pablos holds a degree in industrial engineering from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and an executive degree in business administration from the IE Business School.

Argentina: Loma Negra has announced its financial results for the second quarter of 2024. Net sales were US$147m, down by 28% year-on-year. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell to US$51m, a 19% decrease from the second quarter of 2023. Net profit reached US$31.6m, up by 226% from US$9.7m in the same period in 2023, reportedly due to the ‘solid’ operational results and an improvement in the net total finance gain.

CEO Sergio Faifman said "We are glad to report another set of solid results. We are optimistic that this positive trend in the industry will consolidate, as July 2024’s dispatch figures already show significant improvement. Therefore, we have strong indications to expect further recovery in the second half of 2024."