Pakistan exports rise 37 per cent

Pakistan exports rise 37 per cent
08 June 2009


Pakistan cement exports were unexpectedly high at 1.17Mt in May-09, up 16 per cent month-on-month (MoM) and 37 per cent YoY, the latest numbers released by All Pakistan Cement Manufactures Association showed.

On the back of robust exports, overall cement sales volumes rose by two per cent YoY (+5 per cent MoM) in May-09. However, exports since January 2009 to date were up 50 per cent YoY to 10.1Mt.

Across the region, export data suggests that the growth is broad-based across the key markets of Afghanistan (25 per cent), the Middle East (45 per cent) and Africa (12 per cent) while Indian exports lagged behind (seven per cent).

Domestic demand meanwhile remains weak where sales dropped by 14 per cent YoY (-1 per cent MoM) to 1.65Mt in May 2009.

However, analysts have said that higher infrastructure spending in FY10, a possible uptick in government development spending (PSDP) in the 13th June budget and demand from dams, could be the key upside variable on the domestic front. Published under Cement News