Cement dispatches dip in April, exports surge

APCMA urges govt support to revitalise construction sector, enhance industry efficiency

LAHORE:

Cement dispatches slightly declined in April 2024, with total dispatches at 2.943 million tonnes (MT) compared to 2.951 MT in April of the previous fiscal year. According to data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA), local dispatches in April 2024 were 2.328 MT, down from 2.531 MT in April 2023, a decrease of 7.99%. However, exports surged by 45.96%, rising from 420,857 tonnes in April 2023 to 614,264 tonnes in April 2024.

In April 2024, North-based mills dispatched 2.088 MT of cement, a decrease of 4.79% from April 2023’s 2.193 MT. South-based mills, on the other hand, dispatched 854,911 tonnes, a 12.71% increase from April 2023’s 758,510 tonnes.

Domestically, North-based mills dispatched 1.942 MT of cement in April 2024, down 7.91% from April 2023’s 2.109 MT. South-based mills dispatched 386,783 tonnes, an 8.36% decrease from April 2023’s 422,071 tonnes.

Exports from North-based mills increased by 73.11%, from 84,418 tonnes in April 2023 to 146,136 tonnes in April 2024. Exports from South also increased by 39.14%, reaching 468,128 tonnes in April 2024 from 336,439 tonnes in the same month last year.

During the first ten months of the current fiscal year, total cement dispatches were 37.447 MT, a 2.45% increase from the same period last fiscal year. Domestic dispatches during this period were 31.732 MT, down 4.12% from the same period last year, while exports grew by 65.35% to 5.715 MT.

North-based mills dispatched 26.178 MT of cement domestically during the first ten months of the current fiscal year, while domestic dispatches by South-based mills during the same period were 5.553 MT.

A spokesman for the APCMA urged the government to announce industry-friendly measures in the upcoming budget to boost construction activities in the country. “We need to increase our capacity utilisation to bring in economies of scale and control our operational costs to reduce the overall impact on the end consumer,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4^th, 2024.

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