The 22 associate members of the Spanish Lubricant Association sold 348,000 metric tons of lubricants in the country in 2019, down 1.3 percent from 2018, according to the group’s statistical commission.
Based in Madrid, Aselube consists of companies that account for about 83 percent of Spain’s lubricants supply. This ended a streak of five consecutive years of growth in the volumes supplied by members in Spain. Domestic sales by members grew from 298,000 tons in 2013 to a peak of 352,000 tons in 2018.
Volumes for all lubricant segments decreased in 2019 except for marine and aviation, which the association treats as a single category. Automotive lubricant volume was down 2.2 percent, industrial was lower by 1.5 percent, process oils were down by 2.2 percent and fats declined 6 percent. The marine and aviation segment was up 8.7 percent.
The slowdown in sales was concentrated during the second, third and fourth quarters of last year, with lower demand in each period compared to year-earlier demand, the association said in its newsletter.
Traffic around the fuente de cibeles fountain in Madrid, Spain.