Algeria exports first-ever shipments of cement to Europe

ALGIERS, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The Algerian Industry Ministry said on Wednesday that the country exported its first-ever shipments of cement to Europe in April.

A subsidiary of state-run GICA Group exported 45,000 tons of clinker cement to the European market in April, the ministry said in a statement.

The shipment is part of a contract to export 200,000 tons to Europe, it said.

GICA is likely to export more cement to African and European countries in the near future, the statement noted.

The 12 production plants of GICA Group hit a record cement output of 14 million tons in 2017, thus enabling the North African country to shift from a large cement importer to an exporter.

Forecasts say Algeria will be able to produce 40.6 million tons of cement by 2020. Enditem