Lafarge Romania incurred a 34 per cent decline in the volume of cement sales made in the first nine months of the year compared to the year-earlier period, according to a financial report of the French-based group quoted by NewsIn.
The report also indicates a 0.1 per cent positive effect on sales, as a result of better pricing conditions, product portfolio diversity and the type of customers. The group"s operations in Romania, however, suffered a 34.3 per cent setback in the first nine months of the year compared to the figures for January - September 2008.
Forecasts indicate that sales may recover in the final quarter of the year, thus reducing the setback for the entire year 2009 to 28-30 per cent compared to the year-earlier figures, in the context that prices are smaller or equal to the values logged in 2008.
The French-based group estimates that the building materials market in Europe will incur a decline of 22-24 per cent, driven by a significant downturn and smaller prices in Russia and Romania.