08 December 2014
Vietnamese cement sales hit year’s target in just 11 months 08 December 2014
Vietnam: Cement sales in Vietnam jumped by 16% year-on-year to 64.46Mt in the first 11 months of 2014, fulfilling the government's full-year target, according to its own data. Of the sum 46.16Mt were sold to the domestic market, an 8% year-on-year rise and meeting 94% of the year's plan. 18.30Mt were exports, a year-on-year rise of 43%, 22% higher than the year's target.
In November 2014, Vietnam's cement sales rose by 1% year-on-year to 6.2Mt, including 4.52Mt of domestic sales, up by 3% month-on-month and 25% year-on-year and cement exports dropped by 50% month-on-month and by 35% year-on-year to 1.5Mt.
The country is expected to put into operation four cement plants including Cong Thanh, Dong Lam, Thach My and Trung Son with a combined capacity of 7.5Mt in 2014, raising the country's total
US cement growth to meet expectation 08 December 2014
US: Despite a late start to the construction season and weaker than expected housing start numbers, a recently released report from the Portland Cement Association (PCA) shows that cement consumption in the USA will meet 2014 forecast expectations.
The PCA's cement forecast remains essentially unchanged since the September 2014 forecast. "The United States' cement market is expected to grow by 8.2% in 2014, followed by similar rates of growth in 2015 and 2016," said PCA Chief Economist and Group Vice President Edward Sullivan. "However, minor adjustments have been made regarding the construction sub-sectors. Housing starts, for example, have been trimmed slightly compared to forecasts released earlier in 2014."
While single-family housing starts are not reaching projected levels, the report indicates a new emphasis on multi-family starts. Demographic trends and strict mortgage standards are pushing more potential homebuyers into rental units.
Additionally, the oil price environment has changed significantly since summer 2014 and these new impacts have been integrated into the forecast projections for the paving sector. Going forward, Sullivan noted that the underlying economic fundamentals are strengthening and are reflected in the labour market. Sustained gains in monthly job creation, stronger state and local tax receipts, more favourable return on investments for commercial building and stronger household formation can lead to stronger construction spending in 2015.