July-Jan: Cement dispatches amount to 21.3m tons, up 6.38% =

Local sales grew 15.57%, reach 17.9 million tons; exports fall

KARACHI: Cement dispatches in the first seven months (Jul 2015 to Jan 2016) of the current fiscal 2015-16 increased by 6.38% to 21.3 million tons compared to 20.022 million tons during the same period of last fiscal, according to latest data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA).

This positive overall growth is attributed to the robust increase in domestic dispatches during this period. Local dispatches increased by 15.57% to 17.9 million tons from 15.5 million tons in the period under review.

On the contrary, exports declined to 3.4 million tons from July 2015 to January 2016 against 4.5 million tons from July 2014 to January 2015, down 24.98%.

Factories located in the north of the country dispatched 14.7 million tons in local markets from Jul 15 to Jan 16 against 12.9 million tons during the same period of last fiscal year, depicting a growth of 14.12%.

South-based factories registered a higher growth of 23% in domestic dispatches from July 15 to Jan 16 as their local sales recorded in this period were 3.12 million tons against 2.53 million tons during the same period last year.

In exports, north-based mills registered a decline of 22.3% as exports were restricted to 2.2 million tons in first seven months of this fiscal against 2.782 million tons during July 14 to Jan 15. South-based factories also suffered a drop in exports during the first seven months of current fiscal year by 29.2% to 1.243 million tons from 1.756 million tons in corresponding period of last fiscal year.

The industry dispatched 3.085 million tons of cement in the month of January 2016 compared with 2.898 million tons during January 2015, a growth of 6.47%.

Again this was mainly attributed to healthy domestic sales. Local dispatches during January 2016 were 2.69 million tons against 2.419 million tons during January 2015 showing growth of 11.54%.

Export dispatches during January 2016 dropped to 386,562 tons against 478,000 tons during January 2015 showing decline of 19.19%.

Economic planners are not giving due attention to the rapidly declining cement exports, according to APCMA press release.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th,  2016.

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