China's Cement Output up 13.3% in Jan-May

BEIJING, June 16 -- China's cement output grew 13.3% year on year to 570 million tons in the first five months of this year, showing a growth rate 3.3 percentage points higher than that in the corresponding period of last year, the Shanghai Securities News reported on Monday.

    In May alone, the nation produced 148 million tons of cement, the highest monthly production on record.

    The RMB 4-trillion stimulus package announced last November benefits China's cement industry, said Guo Jingbin, managing director of Anhui Conch Cement Co Ltd<600585><0914>, the biggest cement producer in Asia by output, adding that cement output is expected to grow 5% to 6% this year if the nation's fixed asset investment expands more than 20%.

    Guo also said that cement demand is expected to see more obvious growth in the second half of this year.

    Analysts said China's cement output in 2009 is expected to reach 1.59 billion tons, up 14.8% year on year, according to an earlier report from China Knowledge.

    (Source: China Knowledge)