Association forecasts cement demand to rise in 2018

The World Cement Association (WCA) tells Reuters that global demand for cement is set to rise in 2018 as developed markets in Europe and the United States recover.

Growing demand in developed markets will increase global cement consumption by 1.5 percent in 2018, following an expected increase of 1 percent in 2017, says Emir Adiguzel, CEO of Heidelberg Cement Group who serves as WCA chairman, in an interview with Reuters.

“Every year since 2009 cement industry demand had been going down,” Adiguzel says. “But in 2017, the trend has changed dramatically. Prices are going up worldwide and the volumes are going up in both mature and emerging markets together for the first time since the financial crisis.”

According to the WCA, the United States is expected to be a strong driver of growth, with cement demand increasing by 6 percent in 2017, as infrastructure spending gets under way.

“This year was a big disappoint but there is a lot of rebuilding work to do in the country after the hurricanes this year,” Adiguzel says. “If Mr. Trump does 10 percent of what he says in terms of infrastructure, there will be a big demand for cement in the U.S.”

When China, the world’s largest cement market, is removed, the market is expected to increase by 3.3 percent next year, according to Adiguzel.