Pakistan cement exports registered a 66 per cent increase during the first seven months of the current fiscal year due to its strong demand in neighbouring countries, industry sources said. 
 
Statistics revealed on Monday that Pakistan has exported 1.363Mt cement during seven months (July-January) of the current fiscal year against 0.822Mt during the same period last year, showing an upsurge of 0.541Mt. 
 
The north zone (Punjab and NWFP) exports have moved up by 14 per cent. Its exporters have exported 0.899Mt cement during July-January 2006-07 as compared to 0.79Mt of the same period last year, indicating a growth of 0.109 per cent. 
 
While the south zone (Sindh and Balochistan) export have gone up by 1,340 per cent, as south zone companies have exported 0.463Mt cement during the seven months of the current fiscal year against 32,000t in the same period last year. depicting an augmentation of 0.431Mt. 
 
Total cement sales have increased 20 per cent in January 2007 over December 2006 as a result of increasing construction activities due to mild weather across the country and increased exports to neighbouring countries, source said. 
 
He said that expansions have come online in major cement mills and cement piling up at lower prices in anticipation of its increase and the pleasant weather to have further turned favourable for construction activities in both north and south regions. 
 
Local cement sales posted a 30 per cent growth, while total sales grew by 33 percent to 13.19Mt the July-January in current fiscal year as compared to 9.945Mt in the same period last year. 
 
Local sales in north zone have augmented immensely by 40 per cent to 9.972Mt in seven months of the current fiscal year as compared to 7.129Mt in the corresponding period last year. 
 
Local sales of South Zone that posted a decline of seven percent to 1.857Mt during the July-January of the current fiscal year against the 1.994Mt of the same period last year.