The restriction to the construction activity due to the sanitary emergency and culmination of the third set of locks of the Canal, forces the cement producing companies in Panama to enter in "hibernation" mode.
In Panama, the import of cement and the depressed activity of the construction sector explain the fall in the production of concrete and cement in the first half of the year.
In the first three months of 2018, countries in Central America imported $36 million worth of hydraulic cement, 9% more than was purchased in the same period in 2017.
Figures from the Information System on the Hydraulic Cement Market in Central America, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with graph"]
In 2016 intraregional trade in hydraulic cement totaled $59 million, 18% less than in 2015, and the main exporter is still Costa Rica.
Figures from the information system on the the Hydraulic Cement Market in Central America, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData : [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with the graph"]
Between January and September 2016, the value of trade in hydraulic cement between countries of the region amounted to $48 million, 14% less than the same period in 2015.
Figures from the information system on the the Hydraulic Cement Market in Central America , compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Clic para interactuar con la gráfica"]
The Ministry of Public Works in Panama is putting out to tender a supply of asphalt concrete for use nationwide.
Panama Government Purchase 2017-0-09-0-99-LA-004948:
"The material must be available 7 days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays.The proposer must indicate its proposed site for the location of the plant, i.e.
The plant that Mexico's Cemex operates in Escuintla will increase its production capacity by 10%, reaching 545 thousand tons a year.
In addition to the increased production capacity, with the improvements made to the plant, capacity for bagging cement will rise by 46%, going from 65 to 95 tons per hour.
The value of residential construction in Panama grew by 21.6% in 2015, going from $1,028 million in 2014 to $1,251 million in 2015.
Areas in Colon (77.5%), Arraiján (38.5%) and Panama (30.5%) were the ones that had the highest annual increases in residential construction, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC). Non-residential buildings, however, fell by 8.6% in the same period, and recorded a value of $820.2 million.
The International Conference on Sustainability of Concrete Latin America will be held from 17 to 19 February 2016 in San Jose, Costa Rica.
From a statement issued by the Association of Cement Producers in Peru:
The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) and the Iberoamerican Federation of Ready Mixed Concrete (FIHP) in accordance with other sponsors will be holding the International Conference on Sustainability of Concrete, Latin America, from 17 to 19 February 2016 in San Jose, Costa Rica.
The union of engineers has asked for the suspension of the tender to renovate a section of the Panamerican highway because the tender conditions demand a new asphalt mix that is not used in the country.
From a statement issued by the Panamanian Society of Engineers and Architects (SPIA):
The National Government through the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) has convened tender Nó 2015-0-09-0-05-LV-003 626, Nu 2015-0-09-0-05-LV-G03627, N ° 2015-0-O9-O-O5-LV-O03628, No. 2015-0-09-0-05-LV-003 629, for the Design and Renovation of the CP road. A, - Santa Fe - Yavlza, Aguas Frias - Santa Fe, Santa Fe - Metetí, Metetí - Canglón, Canglón -Yaviza in the province of Darien.
The Panama Canal Authority has requested a taking the mater to international arbitration in order to nullify the claim that favors Grupo Unidos por el Canal with $233 million.
From a statement issued by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP):
The Panama Canal has requested an international arbitration of the claim by the contractor Grupo Unidos por el Canal SA (GUPCSA) associated with a basalt and concrete mixture used in the construction project for the new locks on the waterway.
The Ministry of Public Works is proposing the creation of a National Asphalt Division, an entity which would be responsible for overseeing the quality of asphalt used on roads.
At the moment, authorization is being awaited from the Ministry of Finance for the creation of the National Asphalt Division which aims to, among other things, regulate the business of manufacturing concrete in the country, as well as improving control of product quality.
The cement company has announced it will be investing $35 million over three years to increase the production capacity by 25% at the plant it operates in Costa Rica, near the border with Nicaragua.
From a statement issued by CEMEX:
MONTERREY, MEXICO - CEMEX, SAB de CV ("CEMEX") (BMV: CEMEXCPO) announced today that its subsidiary CEMEX Latam Holdings, SA ("CLH") (BVC: CLH) initiated a project to increase cement production capacity of its plant in Colorado, Costa Rica, by approximately 25% in order to reach an annual capacity of 1.1 million tonnes in 2017.
The Salvadoran company Postes de Concreto S.A. has built a factory with a capacity to produce 125 concrete posts a day.
"Two years ago we began to operate in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, after having consolidated ourselves in El Salvador and in 2015 we thought about investing in Panama," said Mauricio Avalos, president of the company, explaining that the opening in Nicaragua is part of its strategy of expansion into Central America.
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