Basic Product Collapse Shows Just How Badly Spain’s Economy is Suffering due to Pandemic Restrictions

DEMAND for a basic product has fallen so much, that some people say it shows just how badly Spain’s economy is suffering due to restrictions brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

The staple item is cement, where the amount used fell by 50 per cent in April compared to 1.2 tonnes a year earlier, hitting low levels not seen since dictator General Franco tried to get the country out of an economic crisis way back in 1964.

Oficemen is the industry association for Spanish cement producers, and understandably they are very worried.

Its president, Víctor García Brosa, said: “The 50 per cent fall in cement demand is due to the State of Alarm measures closing down construction for a fortnight in March and early April.”

Oficemen is lobbying for help with their industry by going ahead with “the immediate reactivation” of Spain’s economy before “it is too late.”

García Brosa said the construction sector would be a key area to try to kick-start the economy again.

Unsurprisingly, Spain’s exports of cement were also badly hit in April, with a two-thirds fall in numbers compared to a year earlier.