Pakistan's exports continue to rise MoM

Pakistan cement exporters earned revenues of US$14.86m on exports of 282,304t cement in May, 2017, compared to US$13.49m on 255,778t of exports in the previous month, reports Pakistan's Federal Bureau of Statistics.

These figures represent a MoM increase in dollar value and volumes of 10.2 and 10.4 per cent, respectively. However, when compared with May 2016 (521,220t with a value of US$26.9m), the export value slipped by 44.7 per cent and the quantity was down by 45.8 per cent, according to the country's Federal Bureau of Statistics.

In the first 11 months of the FY016-17 (July 2016 -May 2017), Pakistani cement producers exported 4.18Mt of cement at a total value of US$219.87m compared with 5.58Mt at US$301.24m in the equivalent period of the previous year. This represent a YoY retrenchment both in terms of value (-27 per cent) and volume (-25.1 per cent). During this period, value of cement in US$ fell to US$52.54t from US$53.94t.

During the month of May 2017, exports to Afghanistan decreased from 0.206Mt in May 2016 to 0.097Mt in May 2017 showing a decline of 53 per cent, according to the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA).

Exports to India also registered a decline from 0.135Mt in May 2016 to 0.114Mt during the same month this year, showing a decline of 15.2 per cent. Exports to India are mainly through Wahga border and via India's southern coast.

A spokesman for APCMA expressed concern over falling exports to Afghanistan that have declined by 31.2 per cent during July 2016 to May 2017. They said cement exports to India have registered an increase of 34.6 per cent during July 2016-May 2017 period.