Pakistan: All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) members despatched 21.8Mt of cement during the six-month period up to 31 December 2022, the first half of Pakistan’s 2023 financial year. The figure corresponds to a decline of 21% year-on-year from 27.5Mt during the first half of the 2022 financial year. Producers exported 1.73Mt of cement, down by 49% from 3.39Mt in the first half of the 2022 financial year.
The drop in sales was most pronounced in Southern Pakistan, where producers despatched 4.66Mt of cement, down by 31% year-on-year from 6.75Mt. Meanwhile, Northern Pakistani producers despatched 17.1Mt of cement, down by 17% from 20.7Mt.
An APCMA spokesperson said “The current economic turmoil has badly impacted on cement consumption. Inflation has played havoc with the pockets of consumers. New construction projects, including housing, are few in number, while routine maintenance of residential buildings has been postponed for better times.” They added “The Russia-Ukraine war has badly impacted cement exports too.”