In July 2024, cement dispatches in Pakistan declined by 6.81%, marking the 11th consecutive month of decrease due to sluggish economic activity. Total dispatches for the month were 3.010 million tons, down from 3.230 million tons in July 2023, according to data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA).
Local cement dispatches dropped by 11.41%, with 2.463 million tons dispatched in July 2024 compared to 2.780 million tons in the same month of the previous year. However, exports saw a 21.65% increase, rising from 449,792 tons in July 2023 to 547,162 tons in July 2024.
North-based cement mills dispatched 2.192 million tons in July 2024, an 11.40% decline from 2.474 million tons in July 2023. Conversely, south-based mills saw an 8.20% increase, dispatching 817,799 tons compared to 755,824 tons the previous year.
In the domestic market, North-based mills dispatched 2.093 million tons in July 2024, down 11.01% from 2.352 million tons in July 2023. South-based mills dispatched 369,557 tons locally, a 13.62% decrease from 427,847 tons in July 2023.
Exports from North-based mills fell by 18.79%, from 121,814 tons in July 2023 to 98,920 tons in July 2024. In contrast, South-based mills increased their exports by 36.67%, from 327,977 tons to 448,242 tons.
The APCMA emphasized that higher taxes and rising input costs are severely impacting the cement sector. They called for the government to review its taxation policies to reduce the burden on the industry. “We support the government’s documentation drive, but forcing very small retailers to register in a complex sales tax system and installing PoS is not likely to yield additional revenue, as the full amount of sales tax is already paid by the manufacturer,” said an APCMA spokesperson.
