Pakistan: Cement sales fell to their lowest level in Pakistan since September 2010 in August 2011 to 2.4Mt, down 18% month-on-month. This is the steepest month-on-month fall in sales since 2009.
The key contributors to the decline were heavy rainfall along with lesser working hours during Ramadan. Domestic demand stood at 1.6Mt, down 19% month-on-month. Exports slipped to 714,000t, down 14% month-on-month, hindered by logistical issues in Afghanistan.
However, the floods in 2010 have helped total sales in the 2011/12 fiscal year (which started on 1 July 2011). According to statistics from the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association, sales by Pakistani firms rose by 7% to 5.23Mt in the first two months of the 2011/12 fiscal year from 4.91Mt in the 2010/11 fiscal year.
Analysts expect this monthly trend to reverse on the back of an improvement in weather conditions. Overall cement sales should reach 32.8Mt in the 2011-12 financial year, up 5% from 2010-11, mainly driven by increased domestic demand.