By the end of 2016, cement deliveries recorded a yearly uptick of 2.64%, to stand at 5.27M tons compared to 5.13M tons by Dec. 2015. This rise parallels the recovery recorded in the construction activity during 2016, especially by Q4 as a result of the easing of political pressures in Lebanon with the election of a president in October and the formation of a cabinet in December. In fact, the number of construction permits rose by a yearly 13.29% to 17,097 permits by Dec. 2016.
However, the six-month moving average of the number of cement deliveries slightly lost 0.14% to reach 461,034 tons by Dec.2016.
On a monthly basis, cement deliveries in December dropped significantly, decreasing 33.77% from 447,724 tons in 2015 to 296,521 tons in 2016, which could be partly linked to low construction activity during the holiday season.
Total Monthly Cement Deliveries
Source: Banque du Liban