Pakistan’s August cement dispatches higher

Total Pakistan dispatches during August increased by 23.2 per cent compared to the same month of last year with strong increases seen on both the domestic and export front.

Latest data from the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association shows that total dispatches reached 2.7788Mt last month compared to 2.254Mt in August 2013. Domestic cement sales increased by 23.6 per cent to 1.95Mt, compensating for a decline during July 2014.

Meanwhile exports rose by 22.3 per cent to 828,000t. Exports from the north increased from 437,917t last August to 502,845t this year. While exports in the southern region climbed from 261,938t in August 2013 to 300,271t in August 2014. However, the rise was not enough to offset  32 per cent decline in exports during July 2014. Therefore, total exports for the first two months of the current Pakistan fiscal were down by 6.7 per cent to 1.331Mt from 1.426Mt in 2MFY13-14