Pakistan cement exports during February reached 320,000t, which was the highest-ever export for any single month.

Figures released by the All-Pakistan Cement Manufacturers’ Association (APCMA) on Tuesday showed 108 per cent growth in cement exports compared with 1,50,000t exported in the comparable month last year.

Over the eight-month period of the current fiscal (July-February), sale of cement in foreign markets registered an increase of 81 per cent to 1.77Mt, from 0.98Mt in the corresponding eight months of fiscal ’06.

Last month, exports had shot up by 132 per cent over December ’06.

Overall despatches for February stood at 1.96Mt, up 24 per cent from 1.58Mt despatched in February of last year.

Total sale for eight months of the current fiscal was recorded at 15.23Mt, which registered a 32.2 per cent growth over 11.53Mt sold in the corresponding eight months of FY’06.

Local sales stood at 1.64 million tons for February and 13.47Mt for eight months of current year, compared with 1.43Mt and 10.55Mt in the same time last year, registering an increase of 15 and 27.6 per cent, respectively.