Domestic sales drive Pakistan dispatch growth

Pakistan cement dispatches increased by 6.38 per cent to 21.3Mt in the first seven months of the current fiscal compared to 20Mt in the corresponding period of FY14-15, according to the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association.

The increase is attributed to robust growth in domestic dispatches, which rose by 15 per cent YoY to 17.9Mt. Exports, on the other hand, declined by almost a quarter to 3.4Mt from 4.5Mt a year earlier.

Closer analysis of domestic dispatches shows shipments from the northern zone rose by 14.13 per cent to 14.776Mt, while those from the southern zone climbed by 23 per cent YoY to 3.12Mt.

In January 2016 alone, the latest month for which data are available, the industry dispatched 3.085Mt of cement, up by 6.47 per cent. Again, the rise was mainly attributed to robust domestic sales which increased 2.699Mt (ie, +11.54 per cent YoY). Exports during the month fell to to 386,562t versus 478,000t in January 2015, representing a YoY decline of 19.19 per cent.