Pakistan overseas export of cement and clinker saw a healthy growth of 21.5 per cent during the first five months of FY19-20 (July-November 2019) to 3.608Mt from 2.97Mt in the year-ago period.

The country exported 1.657Mt of clinker out of a total of 3.608Mt of cement/clinker in 5MFY19-20 as compared to 800,773t of clinker out of total 2.97Mt of cement/clinker in 5MFY18-19, according to All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA).

Pakistan exported 1.157Mt of cement to Afghanistan, therefore recording a growth of 43.1 per cent during this period. 

However, export to India remains suspended since March last year. The exports of cement by sea routes has performed poorly and reached to 793,263t, which translates of fall of 15.3 per cent over five months of last financial year. Total clinker exports stood at 1.657Mt, recording a 100 per cent growth on YoY basis.

According to local experts, though domestic cement sales in the north have improved (11 per cent in 5MFY20) – leading to a one per cent advance in the five-month period – the real growth is driven by clinker exports, which nearly doubled in 5MFY20 compared to the corresponding period last year.