The Moroccan cement industry should end 2014 in the red.
In the year to end October 2014, sales were down 5.1% year-on-year, and the trend is not expected to change before the end of the year, says the Association professionnelle des cimentiers (APC), the Moroccan association of cement groups.
The organisation says the end of the year should see sales down 4% to 5%.
Dominique Drouet, CEO of
APC argues that the drop is due to a fall in work starts as well as delays in middle-class housing construction.
The cement sector previously decided to increase prices by 2%/year to avoid speculation and consequential fluctuations. For the years to come, some expect the market to be flat while others expect a slight recovery. The situation will depend on the government and its efforts to promote the sector.