Displaying items by tag: AFCP

Argentina: The National Commission for Competition Defence (CNDC) has recommended that the Asociación de Fabricantes de Cemento Portland (AFCP) stop sharing information on cement production and deliveries on a provincial basis that is less than 12 months old. Following an investigation into the cement sector the competition body expressed concern about the “exchange of information" between the main local cement producers, according to the Ámbito Financiero newspaper. An official investigation into collusion between the companies that ran from 2016 to 2021 found that they carried out anti-competitive behaviour that led to costs for construction being inflated by US$180m. It concluded that the sector had a, “high degree of concentration, high barriers to entry and reduced competitive dynamics.” The cement industry was previously fined in 2005 when it was found to have acted as a cartel for 20 years from the 1980s.

Argentina: The National Commission for the Defence of Competition (CNDC) has concluded an investigation into the cement industry with the finding that all four Argentinian cement producers colluded to maintain high prices between 2013 and 2018. Cementera Avellaneda, Holcim Argentina, Loma Negra and Petroquímica Comodoro Rivadavia (PCR) reportedly increased their sales by US$178m between 1 July 2017 and 30 June 2018 through cost overruns generated by their control of local markets.

The CNDC ordered the Portland Cement Manufacturers Association (AFCP) to refrain from distributing competitively sensitive information production, dispatches and imports information between its member companies.

Argentina: Data from the Asociación de Fabricantes de Cemento Portland (AFCP) shows that cement shipments grew by 7% year-on-year to 2.89Mt in the first quarter of 2022 from 2.71Mt in the same period in 2021. Local consumption of cement increased at a similar rate but exports rose by 18% to 31,040t from 26,276t.

Argentina: Data from the Association of Portland Cement Manufacturers (AFCP) shows that total cement despatches grew by 23% year-on-year to 12.1Mt in 2021 from 9.87Mt in 2020. Cement consumption rose at a similar rate to despatches. However, exports fell by 13% to 115,000t in 2021 from 132,000t in 2020. Annual cement despatches have previously fallen in consecutive years since 2018. This trend started to change in the autumn of 2021.

Argentina: Members of the Argentinian Portland Cement Producers’ Association (AFCP) dispatched 8.79Mt of cement in the first nine months of 2021, up by 32% year-on-year from 6.66Mt in the first nine months of 2020. Domestic consumption also rose by 32% to 8.7Mt from 6.6Mt. In 2020, full-year cement sales totaled 9.8Mt.

Argentina: The Association of Portland Cement Manufacturers (AFCP) has agreed with the Argentine Mining Workers Association union to a 48% pay rise for all Argentinean cement workers. The La Voz del Interior newspaper has reported that the union has lifted its nationwide state of alert as a result of the agreement.

Argentina: Data from the Asociación de Fabricantes de Cemento Portland (AFCP) shows that cement shipments grew by 44% year-on-year to 5.52Mt in the first half of 2021 from 3.83Mt in the same period in 2020. Local consumption of cement increased at a similar rate. The association has forecast the local market to grow by 15% year-on-year to 11.4Mt in 2021 from 9.87Mt in 2020.

Argentina: Cement producers in Argentina shipped 1.13Mt of cement in November 2020, up by 28% year-on-year from 0.88Mt in November 2019 and by 4% month-on-month from 1.09Mt in October 2020. The Economista newspaper has reported that the figure is a high-water mark for monthly production since September 2017. Consumption also rose to 1.09Mt, up by 25% year-on-year from 0.87Mt and 2% month-on-month from 1.07Mt.

Argentina: The Portland Cement Producers Association says that domestic cement consumption was 1.1Mt in August 2020, up by 6.4% month-on-month from 1.0Mt in July 2020. Eight-month consumption remains below 2019 levels, by 26% at 7.5Mt from 9.4Mt over the corresponding period of 2019. August production fell by 12% year-on-year to 1.1Mt from 1.2Mt.

Argentina: Cement despatches fell by 30.6% year-on-year to 3.83Mt in the first half of 2020 from 5.51Mt in the same period in 2019. Data from the Asociación de Fabricantes de Cemento Portland (AFCP) shows that monthly despatches from the local market, exports and imports hit a low of 0.41Mt in April 2020, a 55% year-on-year drop, before starting to recover. Despatches were 0.80Mt in June 2020m , a 7% decline from 0.86Mt in June 2019. Local consumption has fallen by a similar proportion.