Pakistan’s manufacturing costs rise

Coal FOB prices have increased from US$68/t in September 2020 to over US$210/t during September 2021, says the All Pakistan Manufacturing Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA).

Ocean freight from South Africa to Karachi has also increased from US$11/t in September 2020 to US$30/t in September 2021. Pakistani rupee parity to the US dollar has increased from PAK165 to over PAK171/US$ during the same period. A representative of APCMA added that power and energy rates continue to increase, while the rise in petroleum prices has resulted in very high transportation costs, adding to the cost of delivery to different destinations. These price escalations have seriously affected the cost of doing business in local as well as international markets.