The export of cement from Pakistan to different countries witnessed a massive decrease of 40.73% as its volume dipped from 611,378 tonnes in October 2021 to 362,350 tonnes in October 2022, WealthPK reports.

According to the data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association, the supply of cement to the local market also declined by 18.46% in October 2022. The total supply of cement by the local industry during October 2022 was recorded at 4.252 million tonnes against 5.215 million tonnes in the same month of the previous financial year.

The data shows that the industry provided 3.89 million tonnes of cement to the local market during the month of October 2022 as compared to 4.6 million tonnes in October 2021, showing a decline of 15.5%.

In October 2022, the North-based cement mills dispatched 3.27 million tonnes of cement to market, showing a decline of 16.15% against 3.9 million tonnes in October 2021. The South-based mills dispatched 978,166 tonnes of cement to market during October 2022, registering a decline of 25.33% as compared to 1.31 million tonnes during the same month of the previous fiscal.

The North-based cement mills supplied 3.14 million tonnes of cement to the domestic markets in October 2022, showing a decline of 17.97% against 3.83 million tonnes in October 2021. The South-based mills dispatched 746,927 tonnes of cement to the local market during October 2022, showing a decline of 3.22% as compared to 771,755 tonnes during October 2021.

However, the export of cement from the North-based mills increased by 79.35% as the quantity increased from 73,102 tonnes in October 2021 to 131,111 tonnes in October 2022. The export from South-based mills plummeted by 57.04% to 231,239 tonnes in October 2022 from 538,276 tonnes during the same month of the previous fiscal.

During the first four months of the current fiscal, a total of 13.87 million tonnes of cement was supplied to both domestic and international markets, showing a decrease of 23.1% as compared to18.04 million tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous financial year. Domestic supply during this period was12.49 million tonnes against 15.88 million tonnes in the same period of the previous year, showing a decrease of 21.35%.

The supply of cement to the international market was also 35.96% less as the volume dropped to 1.38 million tonnes during the first four months of the current fiscal as compared to 2.15 million tonnes in the same period of the previous year.

The North-based mills supplied 10.4 million tonnes of cement the local market during the first four months of the current fiscal, showing a decline of 21.88% as compared to 13.31 million tonnes during the corresponding period of the previous financial year.

The export of cement from North-based mills declined by 8.89% and dipped to 419,283 tonnes during the first four months of the current fiscal as compared to 460,769 tonnes in the same period of the previous year. The total supply from the North-based mills was reduced by 21.45% and dipped to 10.82 million tonnes during the first four months of the current financial year from 13.77 million tonnes in the same period of the previous financial year.

Domestic supply from South-based mills during the first four months of the current fiscal was 2.08 million tonnes, showing a decline of 18.59% against 2.56 million tonnes during the same period of the previous year. The export of cement from South-based mills declined by 43.32 percent and dipped to 961,581 tonnes during the first four months of the current fiscal as compared to 1.69 million tonnes in the same period of the previous financial year.

A spokesman of the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association expressed grave concerns over the continuous decline in cement demand and the rising input costs. He said that government should devise industry-friendly policies so that they could regain momentum in the international market.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk