Pakistan has experienced mixed results in its export performance over the first five months of the fiscal year 2024-25 (July-November 2024). According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), exports of cement and clinker have risen by 18.9 per cent to a total value of US$135.57m (3.739Mt), compared to US$113.99m (2.93Mt) during the same period last year. In terms of volume, these exports saw a notable increase of 27.5 per cent YoY. When converted to Pakistani rupees, export revenue also grew by 14.7 per cent, reaching PKR37.69bn (US$135.2m).
However, an atypical trend was observed in November 2024. The PBS reported a MoM decline in cement sector exports of 21.4 per cent, which fell to US$30.95m from US$39.42m in October 2024. This decline represents a decrease in volume of 17.2 per cent, dropping to 881,469t from 1.064Mt in the previous month. Nonetheless, YoY comparisons for November indicate a significant surge, with cement exports increasing by 48 per cent in value and 67.8 per cent in quantity compared to November 2023, amounting to 525,281t valued at US$20.91m.
By Abdul Rab Siddiqi, Pakistan
