LAHORE: In March 2023, Pakistan’s cement exports saw a remarkable increase of 48.46%, reaching 438,433 tonnes compared to 295,321 tonnes during the same period last year, according to a report released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) on April 3.
However, local cement sales suffered a decline of 28.75%, selling 3.356 million tonnes compared to 4.710 million tonnes in March 2022.
The APCMA report also revealed that the total cement sales in March 2023 were 3.795 million tonnes, marking a 24% decline from 5 million tonnes sold in March 2022.
The northern-based cement plants witnessed a YoY decline of 28.22% by selling 2.82 million tonnes of cement, while southern-based plants recorded a 9.48% decline, selling 374,467 tonnes of cement in March 2023.
Moreover, the North and South-based cement mills’ sales plummeted by 29.33% and 26.14%, respectively, in the local market.
The APCMA spokesperson attributed this decline to the slowing down of construction activities in the northern and southern regions and the economic turmoil affecting the construction and allied industries.
The APCMA report also indicated that exports from Northern mills increased by 24.63%, and those from Southern mills increased by 57.40% in March 2023, compared to the same period last year.
Notably, the boost in cement exports is a promising sign for Pakistan’s economy, and the APCMA hopes that the government will continue to support the cement industry to maintain this growth trend.
