Pakistan exported 225,778t cement in April on revenues of US$13.49m, down 25.28 and 18.54 per cent, respectively compared to the previous month. Compared to April 2016, export volumes were down by 49.65 per cent from 507,958t and revenues fell by 49.65 per cent (US$26.31m) a year earlier, data from Pakistan's Federal Bureau of Statistics shows.

In the first 10 months of FY16-17, the country exported 3.9Mt of cement at a total value of US$205m, considerably lower than the 5.06Mt at US$274.34m in the corresponding period of the previous year. This represents a YoY contraction of 22.91 and 25.27 per cent, in volume and value terms, respectively. Exports of cement also fell to US$52.51/t from US$54.18/t over the period.

A breakdown of export figures shows that dispatches from Pakistan to Afghanistan were down by 29.11 per cent to 1.49Mt, but exports to India rose by 43.78 per cent to 1.051Mt. Exports via sea fell by 30 per cent to 1.4Mt.

Pakistan cement producers are hoping that the government's FY17-18 budget, due to be announced tomorrow, will include some relief measures that will help mitigate the decline in the country's cement exports.