Spain's cement exports slide as energy costs erode competitiveness

Spain's cement consumption rose 13.2% in April to 1.45 million metric tons as robust domestic demand offset a sharp decline in exports, driven by high energy costs that have eroded the country's traditional leadership in European cement trade.

The April increase of 169,197 mt year on year brought cumulative consumption for the first four months of 2026 to 5.32 million mt, up 9.3% from the same period in 2025, according to data from Oficemen, Spain's cement manufacturers association.

Rolling 12-month consumption between May 2025 and April 2026 climbed 13.1% to 17.1 million mt, nearly 2 million mt higher than the previous 12-month period.

The domestic market strength contrasts with persistent weakness in exports, which fell 18.3% in April to about 355,000 mt, a decline of nearly 80,000 mt from April 2025.

Cumulative exports for the first four months of 2026 dropped 16.4% to 242,172 mt, while rolling 12-month exports declined 14.1% to 4.25 million mt.

Energy costs hit

"The evolution of exports does not reflect a one-off adjustment, but a loss of pace that intensifies month by month," Elena Guede, general director of Oficemen, said.

The cumulative annual decline widened by 1.6 percentage points from March to April, moving from a 14.8% drop to 16.4%, she said.

"The extra electricity costs borne by our industry is behind the loss of Spain's traditional leadership in cement exports at the European level, where we have been surpassed by Germany, with significantly lower energy costs," Guede said.

Spain's cement sector has faced mounting pressure from elevated power prices that have made its products less competitive in export markets, particularly against German producers that benefit from lower energy costs. The sustained double-digit export declines across monthly, cumulative annual and rolling year metrics point to structural challenges rather than temporary market fluctuations.