Pakistan cement sales during the first nine months of the current fiscal rose marginally by 0.7 per cent to 24.705Mt, according to preliminary statistics.

Data released by Invest Cap Research shows domestic dispatches rose by 1.6 per cent during the July 2013 – March 2014 period to 18.66Mt. However, cement exports declined by two per cent YoY to 6.044Mt.

During the month of March alone, total dispatches rose 15.5 per cent to 3.139Mt compared to February 2014 shipments. However, on an annual basis, March 2014 sales were down by 5.6 per cent. Domestic dispatches of 2.387Mt rose by 11.8 per cent MoM but declined by 6.7 per cent YoY. Meanwhile exports of 752,000t during the month followed the same trend, rising by 28.9 per cent on a MoM basis but were 2.2 per cent lower YoY.