Pakistan cement dispatches grow by 13% in June

Pakistan’s cement sector posted a robust YoY growth of 12.73 per cent in June 2021, as total dispatches rose to 5.211Mt against 4.623Mt in June 2020. Cement dispatches rose by 20.40 per cent to 48.119Mt in 12MFY21 from 39.96Mt during the 12 months of the last financial year 2019-20, according to data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA).

The rise is attributed to construction activities under the Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme (NPHS), vital government initiatives, and in anticipation of higher Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) allocation for the year 2021-22. 

Intermarket Securities Ltd also supported the same growth sentiment and argued that the construction sector will remain in the limelight as cement dispatches continue to grow on the back of a normalisation of construction activities. This has been led by the relief package announced by the government coupled with progress on the NPHS. 

An APCMA spokesman said that FY20-21 had been a good year for cement, as demand has grown considerably. The cement industry is expanding its capacity from 70Mt to around 100Mt. The expectation is that the market will increase by 15 per cent annually for the next three years due to an increase in projects funded by the PSDP and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), as well as expanding housing and industrial demand.

Export
According to APCMA, exports also increased from 7.847Mt during the financial year 2019-20 to 9.314Mt during the outgoing financial year 2020-21, showing a growth of 18.69 per cent. Pakistan usually exports cement overland to Afghanistan and by sea to the Middle East, Africa, and South and Central Asia.