SANTO DOMINGO.– In recent years, the Dominican Republic has gone from importing cement to being the main exporter of this material in the Caribbean, according to the Dominican Association of Portland Cement Producers (Adocem), in its latest report on the performance of this sector in the country.
Last year, for example, the country produced 6.5 million tons of cement, which represented an increase of only 0.7%, compared to 2022, according to the report presented by the entity at a meeting with the press and representatives of the cement and industrial sector.
However, domestic consumption of construction material experienced a reduction, falling from 5.5 million tons sold in 2022 to 5.3 million in 2023, reflecting a decrease of 3.2%.
Regarding export sales volume, the numbers are more positive: Adocem indicated that 811,598 tons of cement were exported in 2022, while in 2023 it was 918,809 tons, for a growth of 13.2%.
“The industry exports approximately 14.2% of its production annually, mostly to countries in the Caribbean area, and in 2023 there was a 14% increase in exported product, in relation to 2022,” the association emphasized.
That volume of Dominican cement goes primarily to Haiti. Even amidst the profound economic, social, and political crisis that the neighboring country has been suffering for more than three years, the Dominican Republic continues to export cement to that territory.
"Haiti has always been and will continue to be the main export market due to its proximity, because it allows for land-based exports, it's close, and it has a huge need for cement for infrastructure. But unfortunately, due to the political situation and everything we know, exports to Haiti have been affected," declared Julissa Báez, executive director of Adocem.
The border closure imposed by the government due to the construction of the Haitian canal on the Massacre River caused exports of that material to stagnate and fall by 14%, according to Báez, when consulted by Listín Diario. "Last year we had a standstill with the border closure, which meant we definitely couldn't export, and that greatly affected the industry, decreasing exports to Haiti. Now that it has reopened, exports have resumed, but they haven't necessarily been at the same rate as before," she noted.
The director said that the Dominican Republic continues to send cement to Haiti, but “taking all necessary precautions and carefully evaluating everything that happens” in that territory.
There are other countries that also receive local cement, such as Jamaica, whose market, according to Baez, is "important" due to its geographic size, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Turks and Caicos Islands, among other islands.
Price of cement
Despite the fact that cement production costs have increased, prices have remained relatively stable, according to economist Magín Díaz, who, along with the authorities of Adocem, presented a study on the evolution and impact of the cement industry on construction.
In the country's hardware stores, the price of a bag of cement is among the lowest in the region, fluctuating around US$8.29 (about RD$492.26 at Tuesday's rate), according to the research, which used sources from Proconsumidor and the Inter-American Cement Federation (FICEM).
“Generally speaking, the price of cement in the Dominican Republic behaves rationally, in line with the evolution of its production costs,” was one of the final reflections highlighted by Magín Díaz.
“The outlook for the sector is very good,” the economist emphasized at the end of his presentation.
Source: Listín Diario.
