On a positive note, sales rose for the period, and the company says it will prepay up to $2.3 billion in debt this year. It has also forecast a five per cent increase in US cement volumes this year that helped push up its shares almost three per cent.According to Cemex, rising consumer spending, a smaller backlog from foreclosures, and more new houses in the United States should help volumes in 2011, the report said.Cemex faced $231 million in tax payments in the quarter, versus a tax windfall of $613 million in the 2009 period.