French group Lafarge, the largest cement producer in the world, posted an 18 percent drop in sales on the Romanian market in the first nine months of this year, according to its quarterly report.

The sales declined by 16.4 percent in volume, while prices were down about 1.6 percent, says the report, which doesn't specify the actual sales.

The group's representatives mention that the third quarter shows the first signs of market improvements in Central and Eastern Europe since mid-2008.

Lafarge saw its sales in Romania drop by 35 percent in local currency last year, from RON 1.36 billion (EUR 370 million) in 2008 to RON 886 million (EUR 209 million). Lafarge has two cement factories in Romania at Hoghiz (Brasov county) and Medgidia (Constanta county) and a grinding station at Targu Jiu.

The french group shares the Romanian market with Swiss group Holcim and German group HeidelbergCement.

Overall, Lafarge posted a 6 percent growth in sales in the third quarter, to EUR 4.5 billion, while the group's net income was down 8 percent, to EUR 372 million. In the first nine months, sales were stable at EUR 12.2 billion and profits declined by one percent to EUR 765 million.

editor@romania-insider.com