Trading serves a fundamental and evolving role
Our global trading network —one of the largest in the world— plays a fundamental and evolving role in realizing our objectives. Because we understand the business' realities, we can build strong relationships with reliable suppliers and shippers, which translate into a superior value proposition for our customers. Our worldwide network of strategically located trading terminals and our highly developed logistics infrastructure foster our business relationships.

Forge lasting relationships worldwide
As our organization and our industry have grown, the goals of our trading operations have grown along with them. Started as a means to maximize our domestic production capacity, our trading operations now enable us to forge lasting international relationships, explore new markets without the necessity of making an immediate capital investment, and better balance regional supply and demand.

Deliver materials to where they're needed most
We can direct building materials —primarily cement, clinker, and slag— to markets where they are needed most and, in the process, optimize the allocation of our worldwide production capacity. We are able to move these materials from markets with excess supply and meet customers' need for quality virtually all over the world.

In 2005 our total volume was approximately 20 million metric tons —including more than 17 million metric tons of cementitious materials— and we traded with a record 97 countries. We also handled seaborne pet coke, gypsum, and coal to supply the CEMEX operations network.

Stay ahead of the curve
Our global network enables us to offer full service, which better integrates us into the value chain. Moreover, our shared best practices —advanced simulation techniques, communications systems, and international intelligence network— put our trading unit ahead of the curve.