According to data released by the Encuentro Foundation, 2024 ended with a total of 9,555,489 tons of cement shippedwhich represents a 23.9% drop with respect to 2023 and worst setback since 2009.
The records also point to year-on-year decreases in each of the months of 2024. In Decembercement shipments reached 772,057 tonyes, one 5.4% reduction with respect to the same period of 2023 and a decrease of 11.9% compared to November.
The reasons given in the report highlight the decision of the national government to paralyze public worksnext to the contraction of private investment in the sector. “If they are not taken urgent measuresit is possible that the construction sector will continue to decline, with significant economic and social impacts,” the document proposes.
Construction rebounded 2.2% monthly in November
The construction grew a 2.2% in November compared to the previous month, while it accumulates a drop of 28.5% in the first 11 months of 2024, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INDEC).
In the year-on-year comparison, the Synthetic Indicator of Construction Activity (ISAC) showed a decrease in 23.6% with respect to the same month of 2023.
Construction supplies
The apparent consumption data of the construction supplies in November 2024 show, in relation to the same month of the previous year, drops of up to 46.9% in ceramic sanitary ware; followed by round iron and steels for construction (-34.8%); hollow bricks (- 34.5%); granite and calcareous mosaics (-30.5%); and so (-30.4%); ceramic floors and coverings (-28.7%); plasterboard (-26.3%); manufactured concrete (-25.1%); in the rest of the inputs (includes faucets, seamless steel tubes and construction glass -20.6%); portland cement (-14.7%); construction paints (-5%); and in limes (-1.5%). At the far end, an increase of 22.4% is observed in asphalt.
For its part, if the variations of the accumulated during the eleven months of 2024 as a whole are analyzed in relation to the same period of the previous year, drops of up to 44% are recorded in asphalt; ceramic sanitary ware (-42.4%); granite and calcareous mosaics (-41.9%); round iron and steels for construction (-41.7%); manufactured concrete (-35.5%); ceramic floors and coverings (-30.8%); plaster (-29.6%); hollow bricks (-28.6%); portland cement (-25.3%); plasterboard (-24.6%); in it rest of the inputs (includes faucets, seamless steel pipes and construction glass – 23.3%); in limes (-13%); and in construction paints (-7.5%).
Source: Ambito
