According to the data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA), total cement dispatches declined by 4.2 per cent in December 2021 to 4.59Mt from 4.79Mt dispatched during the same month last fiscal year.
AKD Research referred to this dismal performance to seasonality but expressed hope that the local demand remains vital for FY22 as economic activity continues to pick up where the private sector is expected to provide significant support to demand.
Out of total dispatches, local cement dispatches in December 2021 were 4.057Mt compared to 4.159Mt in December 2020, showing a reduction of 2.5 per cent. Export dispatches declined by 15.6 per cent as the volumes reduced from 637,511t in December 2020 to 538,002t.
Aggregate dispatches
During the first six months of the current fiscal year, total cement dispatches (domestic and exports) were 27.456Mt, this is 4.1 per cent lower than the 28.637Mt dispatched during the corresponding fiscal year. Further analysis indicates that domestic commodity uptake slightly increased by 1.91 per cent to 24.065Mt from 23.615Mt during July-December 2020. In contrast, exports during the same period declined by a massive 32.5 per cent 3.391Mt from 5.021Mt during July-December 2020.
