ALGIERS – Algeria’s import bill of building materials (cement, wood, ceramic products, iron and steel) totalled US$1.74 billion over the past ten months of 2016, against US$2.14 billion during the same period in 2015, down by 18.6%, said the the Algerian Customs’ National Centre of Data Processing and Statistics (CNIS).
In terms of quantity, Algeria imported 8.45 million tonnes against 8.84 million tonnes, down by 4.5%, during the same period of reference, said the CNIS.
Cement imports declined by 28.3% in terms of value, totalling US$271.7 million during the past ten months of 2016, against US$378.9 million during the same period in 2015, and dropped by 18.76% in terms of quantity, from 5.2 million tonnes down to 4.2 million tonnes during the same period of reference, according to figures provided by CNIS.
The same downward trend was recorded in iron and steel imports, which decreased from US$1.2 billion (2.46 million tonnes) to US$961.6 million (2.19 million tonnes), down by 19.3% in terms of value and -11.14% in terms of volume.
Wood import bill hit US$464.2 million (2 million tonnes) during the past ten months of 2016, against US$528.7 million (1.15 million tonnes) during the same period a year earlier, down by 12.2% in terms of value and up by 73.8% in terms of quantity, said CNIS.
The import bill of ceramic products totalled US$43.4 million (41,233 tonnes) during the first ten months of 2016 against US$39.2 million (40,561 tonnes) during the same period in 2015, up by 10.7% in terms of value and +1.65% in terms of volume.
In 2015, Algeria’s import bill of building materials hit US$2.54 billion, against US$3.35 billion in 2014.
Source: Building materials: 18.6% drop in import bill over past ten months
