Pakistan cement sales in the first four months of the current fiscal slipped 0.39 per cent, while capacity utilisation stood at 70 per cent due to heavy monsoons and Eid holidays, a spokesperson from the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association has said.

During the July-October period, total sales were 10.437Mt compared to 10.477Mt in same period of last year. Local cement dispatches during the period stood at 7.518Mt against 7.524Mt the year before. Exports during the four months were 2.919Mt, down from the 2.953Mt registered in the comparative period of the previous fiscal.

October turned out to be the second month in this fiscal where both local sales and exports declined. Total October dispatches were 2.652Mt, 4.16 per cent lower than the corresponding period of last year. Local dispatches declined 5.32 per cent to 1.975Mt in the year, while exports were also down by 0.63 per cent to 0.676Mt.