Pakistan cement dispatches grow strongly in 5MFY19-20

All Pakistan Cement Manufacturer Association (APCMA) has released dispatch data for November and for the five months of July-November 2019. According to APCMA, Pakistani cement dispatches in July-November 2019 increased 2.9 per cent YoY to 16.854Mt, while exports were up 21.5 per cent YoY to 3.608Mt. Overall cement dispatches grew by 5.8 per cent to 20.462Mt.
 
In November 2019 the country's cement industry dispatched 3.538Mt to the domestic market, representing a YoY expansion of 5.1 per cent. Exports incdreased by 43.5 per cent to 0.808Mt. Total cement dispatches grew by 10.6 per cent to 4.346Mt.
 
North/south comparison
The cement mills based in the northern part of the country dispatched 3.24Mt while southern cement mills dispatched 1.105Mt clinker and cement in November 2019. Demand in the north amounted to 2.976Mt, while 0.264Mt of cement was exported form this part of the country. In the south cement consumption was 0.562Mt and exports were 0.544Mt in the month of November.
 
In the 5MFY18-19 demand in the north reached 14.432Mt, which was 11.3 per cent higher when compared with the same period last year. Exports from northern cement mills fell 2.9 per cent YoY to 1.214Mt.
 
The southern region showed a very contrasting performance as it dispatched 2.422Mt cement for domestic consumption in the five months of this fiscal, down 29 per cent YoY. However, exports during the same period this year increased 39.2 per cent to 2.394Mt.
 
A spokesman of the APCMA said that the cement industry has a considerable amount of unused capacity as against an installed capacity of 59.65Mta, it dispatched 46.88Mt cement last year. This year the total dispatches are expected to reach 49.11Mt, but 10.54Mta of capacity would remain unused.