LONDON (Alliance News) - Kazakh construction material producer Steppe Cement Ltd on Thursday said it sold more cement in the first half of 2016 but for a lower price, though it noted exports out of the Kazakhstan cement market doubled when compared to a year earlier and imports into the market declined by 63%.
Steppe sold 161,771 tonnes of cement in the first half ended June 30, a 6.0% rise from the 717,654 tonnes of cement sold a year earlier. However, the average price for delivered cement dropped to KZT10,751 per tonne, compared with KZT11,533 per tonne for the same period a year earlier, meaning Steppe sold its higher volume of cement for KZT8.19 billion, compared to the lower volumes for KZT8.28 billion the same period a year earlier.
Steppe said the cement market in Kazakhstan decreased by 10% during the first half of 2016 compared to the same period a year earlier, but said overall cement shipments from local companies remained stable on a year earlier, as imports decreased by 63% and exports doubled due to the favourable exchange rate against the currencies of surrounding countries.
Steppe said its local market share increased to 18% in the first half of 2016 from 16% in the same period a year earlier, and it exported 4.0% of its sales, having exported none a year earlier.
Shares in Steppe were untraded on Thursday, having last traded at 25.00 pence.
By Hannah Boland; hannahboland@alliancenews.com; @Hannaheboland
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Steppe Cement (STCM)