According to data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA), local cement sales in February 2025 reached 3.065 million tons, compared to 2.869 million tons in February 2024, reflecting a marginal increase of 6.82 percent. Domestic cement sales, which had shown a month-over-month (MoM) increase of 11.64 percent in January 2025, did not pick up as expected in February.
In contrast, export dispatches saw a significant increase of 34.30 percent, rising from 395,935 tons in February 2024 to 531,736 tons in February 2025. Total cement dispatches for February 2025 amounted to 3.596 million tons, up from 3.265 million tons during the same month last year, marking an overall increase of 10.15 percent.
North-based cement mills dispatched 2.556 million tons in February 2025, a 5.06 percent increase from 2.433 million tons in February 2024. South-based mills, however, reported a more substantial increase, dispatching 1.04 million tons, which is 25.04 percent higher than the 0.831 million tons dispatched in February 2024.
In the domestic market, North-based mills dispatched 2.507 million tons in February 2025, reflecting a 7.22 percent increase from 2.338 million tons in February 2024. South-based mills dispatched 557,895 tons in local markets, a modest increase of 5.06 percent compared to 531,044 tons in February 2024.
Exports from North-based mills, however, experienced a significant decline of 47.82 percent, dropping from 95,393 tons in February 2024 to 49,780 tons in February 2025. Conversely, exports from South-based mills surged by 60.36 percent, increasing to 481,956 tons in February 2025 from 300,542 tons during the same month last year.
During the first eight months of the current fiscal year, total cement dispatches (domestic and exports) reached 30.423 million tons, a decrease of 0.45 percent compared to 30.560 million tons during the same period last year. Domestic dispatches during this period totaled 24.5 million tons, down from 26.06 million tons, reflecting a reduction of 6.00 percent. However, export dispatches increased by 31.78 percent, rising to 5.924 million tons compared to 4.495 million tons during the same period last fiscal year.
North-based mills dispatched 20.36 million tons domestically during the first eight months of the current fiscal year, a reduction of 5.28 percent from 21.49 million tons during July-February 2024. Exports from the North increased by 20.42 percent to 1.101 million tons during this period, compared to 0.914 million tons exported last year. Total dispatches by North-based mills decreased by 4.23 percent to 21.462 million tons during the first eight months of the current financial year, down from 22.410 million tons during the same period last year.
South-based mills reported domestic dispatches of 4.139 million tons during July-February 2025, a reduction of 9.42 percent from 4.570 million tons during the same period last fiscal year. However, exports from the South increased by 34.68 percent to 4.822 million tons during July-February 2025, compared to 3.580 million tons exported during the same period last year. Total dispatches by South-based mills rose by 9.96 percent to 8.962 million tons during the first eight months of the current financial year, up from 8.150 million tons during the same period last year.
A spokesman for the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association expressed hopes for industry-friendly measures in the upcoming budget to enhance the sector’s capacity utilization. He emphasized that the cement industry supports many allied industries and plays a crucial role in the overall economic uplift of the country.
