Pakistan: cement sales rise by 3.6% in September

The All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) has announced that cement sales in the month of September rose by 3.55 per cent, reports the Tribune Newspaper.

While domestic demand was relatively stable – accounting for around two per cent of the growth – exports, particularly to India, played a key role in sales growth.

The APCMA recorded domestic dispatches rose two per cent YoY to 2.54Mt, while exports grew by 11.8 per cent to 0.52Mt. The Association said that a new property valuation policy was partly to blame for the subdued rise in domestic demand.

For the quarter from July-September, local dispatches rose by 9.5 per cent, to stand at 8.98Mt.

Pakistan’s reliance on Indian exports to fuel growth might be jeopardised by rising tensions between the two neighbours. This week the leader of India’s ruling BJP party called for a ban on cement imports from Pakistan.