Cement: Local sales rise while exports fall

KARACHI:

Cement sales increased for the fifth straight month compared to last year; however, exports  declined for the third consecutive month and capacity utilisation was at its lowest since 2002-03.

An All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association spokesperson said that total cement dispatches till April stood at 26.643 million tons, which is 3.31% higher than the corresponding period previous year.

Domestic sales during this period rose by 8.51% but exports registered an 8.91% decline. The Afghanistan market remained relatively stable, as exports declined nominally by 0.15% to 3.778 million tons, while exports to India rose by 15.19% to slightly over 0.5 million tons through the sea and the Wagah border.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 8^th, 2012.