Islamabad: Cement sales in Pakistan witnessed a notable uptick in April, with both domestic consumption and exports registering year-on-year growth.
According to data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA), domestic cement dispatches rose by 7.64% and exports surged by 34.56% compared to April of the previous year.
In April, local cement sales reached 2.516 million tonnes, up from 2.337 million tonnes during the same month last year.
Export dispatches also saw a significant rise, climbing to 826,457 tonnes compared to 614,214 tonnes in April 2024.
Consequently, total cement dispatches (domestic and exports combined) grew by 13.24%, reaching 3.342 million tonnes in April compared to 2.951 million tonnes a year earlier.
Despite the positive figures for April, the cumulative performance over the first ten months of the fiscal year 2024–25 (10MFY25) presents a mixed picture.
Overall cement sales slightly declined to 37.336 million tonnes from 37.454 million tonnes in the corresponding period last year.
Domestic dispatches dropped by 5.5%, falling to 29.978 million tonnes from 31.740 million tonnes.
However, export volumes offered some relief, increasing by 29% to 7.359 million tonnes, up from 5.714 million tonnes in 10MFY24.
A spokesperson for APCMA welcomed the strong export performance, calling it a positive indicator for the industry.
Nevertheless, he noted that low domestic demand has kept about one-third of the industry’s production capacity idle.
He urged the government to introduce supportive measures in the upcoming federal budget to stimulate the construction sector and enhance the competitiveness of Pakistani cement in international markets.
Region-wise performance in April also reflected varying trends:
North-based cement mills dispatched a total of 2.239 million tonnes, marking a 7.22% increase compared to the same month last year.
Of this, 2.124 million tonnes were sold in the local market, representing a 9.39% rise from 1.942 million tonnes in April 2024. However, exports from the northern region declined by 22%, amounting to 114,467 tonnes.
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South-based cement mills showed stronger growth, dispatching 1.10 million tonnes in April 2025 — a 28% rise from 863,327 tonnes in the same month last year.
Domestic sales, however, remained stagnant at 391,445 tonnes, only slightly below the 395,199 tonnes recorded in April 2024.
The highlight was in exports, which jumped 52% to 711,990 tonnes from 468,128 tonnes a year earlier.
The data underscores a critical dependence on export markets as domestic consumption remains subdued.
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Stakeholders are now looking toward government policy in the upcoming budget to provide the necessary incentives to revive construction activity and enhance industrial capacity utilization.
