Algeria to import two million tons of cement in 2010

Algeria received the first shares of important cement at the port of Algiers as part of the quantity of 400,000 intended to cover deficit in the northern towns of the country.

• Earlier in June, the government decided to import 1 ton of cement to face speculation in the national market. The price of one cement bag was estimated at 300 DZ.
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• A total of 300,000 tons of cement were intended to the port of Bejaia to cover the eastern towns and 300,000 to the port of Oran to cover the western towns.
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• The large quantities of important cement coming to Algeria and the heavy rains in the north caused a slump in cement price to about 350 DZ the bag while it was 550 DZ, two weeks ago.
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• Chief of the National Union of Building and Urbanisation Contractors Ahmed Ben Keaoud told Echorouk the fall of cement price will continue more in winter as demand is less due to difficult work conditions in workshops in this season.
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• Cement public factories produced 11.5 million tons of cement, which equal to 67 percent of the national production.
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• National demand for cement has jumped since 2005 due to the increase in public investments.
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• The production of cement public factories is expected to go up by about 500,000 tons to reach 12 million tons in 2010. That means national deficit in cement would jump to two million tons as annual demand grow is estimated between 8 and 10 percent until 2015. Because of that, Algeria’s cement consumption is expected to rise to about 27 million in 2015 from 18 million.