Pakistani cement dispatches see 5% uptick in December

Cement dispatches in Pakistan were up five per cent YoY in December 2023, settling at 4.1Mt compared to the same period in the previous year.

According to a report from AHL Research, domestic dispatches declined by four per cent YoY to arrive at 3.5Mt. The fall in domestic dispatches was due to subdued demand due to high inflation. Local dispatches of the north were recorded at 2.9Mt, a fall of 1 per cent YoY, whereas the south experienced a drop of 16 per cent YoY, settling at 0.6Mt.

Exports showed a significant jumpt of 156 per cent YoY during December 2023 to 0.53Mt. The rise in exports was mainly from the south, up 198 per cent YoY, arriving at 0.45Mt, amid lower domestic demand for cement, which resulted in manufacturers in the south focussing on exports. Additionally, exports from the north rose by 40 per cent YoY to reach 0.08Mt on the back of rehabilitation activity picking up in Afghanistan.