The first 11 months of 2012 saw Algeria increase its cement imports by 91.95 per cent, according to Algerian customs figures.

In terms of value, imports rose from US$117.4m to US$225.4m while in terms of volumes, the advance reached 96.61 per cent from 1.267Mt to 2.492Mt.

The high demand for the product, particularly in the dry season from March to August, has been the main cause of this import hike. The country currently has a cement deficit of over 2.5Mta.