Cement dispatches decline by 5.78% in Oct
Cement dispatches in October 2023 saw a decline of 5.78%, with total dispatches amounting to 4.007 million tonnes, compared to 4.253 million tonnes in the same month of the previous fiscal year.
Data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association revealed that local cement dispatches in October 2023 were 3.292 million tonnes, a 15.38% decrease from the 3.890 million tonnes in October 2022. On the other hand, export dispatches surged by 97.33%, increasing from 362,350 tonnes in October 2022 to 715,028 tonnes in October 2023.
North-based cement mills dispatched 2.903 million tonnes of cement in October 2023, marking an 11.35% decrease compared to the 3.275 million tonnes dispatched in October 2022. Meanwhile, south-based mills dispatched 1.104 million tonnes of cement in October 2023, a 12.90% increase compared to last year.
In domestic markets, north-based mills dispatched 2.780 million tonnes of cement in October 2023, down 11.57% from the 3.143 million tonnes in October 2022. South-based mills dispatched 512,320 tonnes of cement locally in October 2023, a 31.41% decrease compared to the 746,927 tonnes in October 2022.
Exports from north-based mills decreased by 6.16%, with quantities dropping from 131,111 tonnes in October 2022 to 123,029 tonnes in October 2023. Exports from the south, however, increased significantly by 156.01%, reaching 591,999 tonnes in October 2023, up from 231,239 tonnes during the same month in the previous year.
During the first four months of the current fiscal year, total cement dispatches (domestic and exports) reached 15.892 million tonnes, a 14.55% increase compared to 13.874 million tonnes during the corresponding period in the previous fiscal year. Domestic dispatches during this period amounted to 13.426 million tonnes, showing a 7.47% increase from 12.492 million tonnes in the same period of the previous year. Export dispatches also saw a substantial rise of 78.53%, with volumes reaching 2.466 million tonnes during the first four months of the current fiscal year, up from 1.381 million tonnes during the same period of the previous fiscal year.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 4th, 2023.
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