Pakistan’s cement industry witnessed a 5.6 per cent YoY increase in total cement dispatches in November 2024, according to data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA). Total cement dispatches during November 2024 advanced to 4.146Mt, compared to 3.927Mt in November 2023.
Local cement dispatches
The data breakdown shows that local cement dispatches increased by 2.4 per cent YoY to 3.342Mt in November 2024. Northern-based cement mills dispatched 2.925Mt of cement, showing an increase of two per cent compared to 2.87Mt in November 2023. Southern-based mills dispatched 1.22Mt of cement during November 2024, which was 15.2 per cent more than the dispatches of 1.06Mt during November 2023.
Exports
Export cement dispatches increased by 21.3 per cent YoY to 803,258t in November 2024. Exports from northern-based mills increased by 16.9 per cent to 168,265t in November 2024, while exports from the south increased by 22.5 per cent to 634,993t.
5MFY25 performance
During the first five months of the FY24-25, total cement dispatches (domestic and exports) were 18.78Mt, 5.2 per cent lower than the 19.82Mt dispatched during the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year. Domestic dispatches during this period were 14.75Mt, down from 16.69Mt during the same period the previous year, showing a reduction of 11.6 per cent. Export dispatches rose by 28.7 per cent as the volumes jumped to 4.03Mt during the 5MFY24-25.
Industry outlook
The APCMA has emphasised the need for the government to reduce duties and taxes on cement to increase demand and enable the sector to use its idle capacity.
by Abdul Rab Siddiqi, Pakistan
