LAHORE: Cement despatches during the month of February 2022 showed a decline of 4.75 percent as total despatches was recorded at 4.36 million metric tons (MMTs) against 4.57 million metric tons despatched during the same month of last financial year.

According to the data released by All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA), local cement despatches by the industry during the month of February 2022 were 3.95 million million tons compared to 3.96 million metric tons in February 2021, showing a reduction of 0.17 percent. Exports despatches suffered massive decline by 34.18 percent as the volumes reduced from 616,030 metric tons in February 2021 to 405,489 tons in February 2022.

In February 2022, North-based cement mills despatched 3.214 million metric tons cement in domestic markets, showing a reduction of 1.95 percent against 3.278 million metric million despatches in February 2021. South-based mills despatched 740,595 metric tons cement in local markets during February 2022 that was 8.37 percent higher compared to the despatches of 683,384 metric tons during February 2021.

Exports from North-based mills massively declined by 78.08 percent as the quantities reduced from 186,595 tons in February 2021 to 40,902 tons in February 2022.

Exports from South also reduced by 15.1 percent to 364,587 tons in February 2022 from 429,435 tons during the same month last year.

During the first eight months of current fiscal year, total cement despatches (domestic and exports) were 35.78 million tons that calculates to 5.75 percent lower than 37.95 million tons despatched during the corresponding period of last fiscal year. Further analysis indicate that domestic uptake of the commodity reduced by 0.63 percent to 31.42 million tons from 31.61 million tons during July-February 2021 whereas exports during the same period declined by a massive 31.35 percent to 4.34 million tons from 6.33 million tons during July-February 2021.

North-based mills despatched 26.08 million tons cement domestically during the first eight months of current fiscal year showing a reduction of 2.74 percent than cement despatches of 26.82 million tons during July-February 2021. Exports from North declined by 63.3 percent to 598,517 tons during July-February 2022 compared with 1.63 million tons exported during the same period last year.

Domestic despatches by South-based Mills during July-February 2022 were 5.33 million tons showing an increase of 11.2 percent over 4.79 million tons cement despatched during the same period of last fiscal year. There was however substantial decline of around 20.27 percent in exports from south zone as the volumes reduced to 3.74 million tons in the first eight months of current fiscal year from 4.7 million tons during corresponding period of last fiscal.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022