Cement sales increase 57.44% in July

Cement sales jumped 57.44% to 3.212 million tonnes in July 2023, up from 2.040 million tonnes in the same month last fiscal year, according to figures released on Thursday.

According to figures issued by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA), cement manufacturers sold 2.776 million tonnes in the domestic market in July, up from 1.887 million tonnes in July 2022, representing a 47.15% rise.

Exports climbed by 183.91%, with quantities rising from 153,517 tonnes in July 2022 to 435,854 tonnes in July 2023.

The north-based cement companies shipped 2.473 million tonnes, a 46.54% increase over the 1.688 million tonnes sent in July 2022.

Units in the south sold 739,376 tonnes of cement in July 2023, a 109.61 percent increase over the 352,747 tonnes sold in July 2022.

Domestically, northern factories sold 2.351 million tonnes of cement in July 2023, a 45.37% increase from 1.617 million tonnes in July 2022. Similarly, units in the south despatched 425,336 tonnes of cement in local markets in July 2023, a 57.84% increase over the previous month’s despatches of 269,477 tonnes.

According to export data, northern manufacturers sent 121,814 tonnes abroad in July 2023, up 73.41% from 70,247 tonnes in July 2022.

Exports from the south grew by 277.13% to 314,040 tonnes in July 2023, up from 83,270 tonnes in the same month last year.

APCMA spokesman highlighted that the country’s economic stability was heavily reliant on a stable administration.

He said that, while the start of the current fiscal year seemed bright in comparison to last year, domestic despatches in July 2023 were about 20% lower than in June 2023.

“So, compared to last month, there was a decline,” he continued. He also expressed concern about rising production costs.

“The provincial government has raised the royalty rate from Rs115 per tonne to Rs250 per tonne,” he said.

The rate of electricity has also been increased by almost Rs7.5 per unit, while the recent increase in fuel cost of around Rs20 per litre has further impacted the freight cost, the spokesman added.

However, he was positive that this fiscal year would be better for the sector due to expected investments in large-scale projects.

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