The continuity or not of the cement factory that the Masaveu Corporation has in San Bartolomé de Tirajana is a thorny issue that could take an unexpected turn to force the company to accept the theory of the hotel sector and on behalf of the Government of the Canary Islands to move to the port of Arinaga or the interior of the port of Las Palmas. The official data from the Government of the Canary Islands to which Maspalomas24H has had access this Monday shows that the Santa Águeda cement plant has a market share of more than 50% and in non-refractory mortars and concretes, the Masaveu in Ceisa have a business share of 98%. % and, therefore, requesting the exit of cement from AIEM would be an 'in extremis' measure to force the company to change its mind. The new AIEM cycle will be reviewed in 2027 but the Government of the Canary Islands has room for maneuver.
The Directorate General for Competition of the European Commission may review changes to the General Block Exemption Regulation (Commission Regulation (EU) No. 651/2014) if the limits in relation to the volume of business so that Canarian companies can benefit from the Regional operating aid contained in the REF is contradictory to the spirit of the norm. This change only has to be notified and would come into force for cement on January 1, 2023 with a simple argument: it is to reduce the cost of public works planned by the Feder on the islands as well as in the EU's NextGeneration programs.
This is the tariff for importing cement into the islands. This EU State aid is called AIEM and means that Ceisa's competitors in Tirajana have to bear, as is the case with Arinaga flour, an extra cost of 15%. Sources from the Las Palmas business sector indicated that if the cement company is essential for the islands' economy "it is proven that the AIEM can be removed from cement given that the tariff is promoting an alleged monopoly." In this way, it is expected that the Masaveu group will loosen its pressure on the island authorities with the existence or not of the Santa Águeda cement factory. The same sources indicated that "it is a letter that is moving high up so that there is an effective solution."
Law 20/1991, on the import of products derived from the non-metallic mineral product industries, among which is cement, are taxed in IGIC at a reduced tax rate. Apart from the above, the import of goods included in Annex IV of said Law with the statistical positions are subject to the AIEM: 2523290000 Hydraulic cements, Portland cement that is not white. Its import is taxed in AIEM at 5%. Other hydraulic cements other than clinker or portland. Its import is taxed in AIEM at 5% for hydraulic cements, Portland cement that is not white.