Cement dispatches declined by 6.25 percent in March 2022. Total Cement dispatches during March 2022 were 5.04 million tons against 5.37 Million Tons dispatched during the same month of last fiscal year. According to the data released by All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA), local cement dispatches by the industry during the month of March 2022 were 4.74 million tons compared to 4.56 million tons in March 2021, showing an increase of 4.02 percent. Exports dispatches suffered massive decline by 63.77 percent as the volumes reduced from 815,120 tons in March 2021 to 295,321 tons in March 2022.

In March 2022, North based cement mills dispatched 3.85 million tons cement in domestic markets showing an increase of 1.07 percent against 3.8 million tons dispatches in March 2021. South based mills dispatched 897,697 tons cement in local markets during March 2022 that was 18.94 percent higher compared to the dispatches of 754,741 tons during March 2021.

Exports from North based mills massively declined by 71.26 percent as the quantities reduced from 280,411 tons in March 2021 to 80,584 tons in March 2022. Exports from South also reduced by 59.84 percent to 214,737 tons in March 2022 from 534,709 tons during the same month last year.

During the first nine months of current fiscal year, total cement dispatches (domestic and exports) were 40.81 million tons that calculates to5.81 percent lower than 43.33 million tons dispatched during the corresponding period of last fiscal year. Further analysis indicate that domestic uptake of the commodity reduced by 0.03 percent to 36.17 million tons from 36.18 million tons during July-March 2021whereas exports during the same period declined by a massive 35.04 percent to 4.64 million tons from 7.14 million tons during July-March 2021.

North based Mills dispatched 29.93 million tons cement domestically during the first nine months of current fiscal year showing a reduction of 2.27 percent than cement dispatches of 30.63 million tons during July-March 2021. Exports from North declined by 64.47 percent to 679,101 tons during July-March 2022 compared with 1.91 million tons exported during the same period last year.

Domestic dispatches by South based Mills during July-March 2022 were 6.23 million tons showing an increase of 12.31 percent over 5.55 million tons cement dispatched during the same period of last fiscal year. There was however substantial decline of around 24.31 percent in exports from south zone as the volumes reduced to 3.96 million tons in the first nine months of current fiscal year from 5.23 million tons during corresponding period of last fiscal year.

A spokesman of All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association said that steep decline in cement exports is hurting not only the cement manufacturers but the government’s revenue collection and foreign exchange as well. There is immense need to formulate industry friendly policies to catch-up our cement sales in international markets as well as to increase indigenous consumption of the commodity.