Algeria’s exports of building materials last year amounted to 12.18 million tonnes, at about a value of $1.3 billion, compared to $567 million in 2021, an increase of 56% compared to 2021.

Building materials represented “Algeria’s most important non-hydrocarbon exports” during the past two years, as their share of total non-hydrocarbon exports amounted to 15% in 2021 and 11% in 2022.

Rebar steel comes at the forefront of exported building materials, with $547.8 million in 2022, compared to $334.4 million in 2021.

Cement came second with a value of $424 million in 2022, compared to $215 million in 2021 and $68.8 million in 2020.

Algeria ranks 14th in the world in cement exports, as it exported this material to about 62 countries last year, including 22 African countries, 6 Arab countries, and 34 countries from the rest of the continents.

Algeria achieved the highest growth rates for cement export in the world between 2017 and 2022, at a rate of 155%, which allowed Algeria to transform from an importing country to an exporting one.

The United States of America represents Algeria’s most important importer of construction materials, with a share of 30% of Algeria’s total exports, especially rebar.

It comes after the United States, Belgium with 11%, and Germany with 8% of the total value of Algerian exports.

While African countries collectively represent a share of 28% of the total Algerian building materials exports, distributed among Ivory Coast with a share of 7%, Ghana with a share of 6%, Mauritania and Cameroon with a share of 3% each, Senegal, Guinea and Togo with a share of 2% each.

The number of Algerian exporters in the Building Materials Division reached 209 exporters, including 19 rebar exporters and 99 cement exporters.