Cement Industry Seeks Government Support for Growth

The All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) has appealed to the government to introduce supportive policies in the upcoming budget. These measures aim to stimulate construction activities nationwide and enhance the global competitiveness of Pakistani cement, thereby expanding export opportunities.

A representative noted that the substantial increase in exports this year is encouraging. However, the industry’s growth remains constrained by weak domestic demand, leaving approximately one-third of the industry’s production capacity unused.

According to APCMA data released recently, local cement dispatches in April 2025 reached 2.516 million tons, a 7.64% increase compared to the 2.337 million tons dispatched in April 2024. Export dispatches showed a significant rise of 34.56%, increasing from 614,214 tons in April 2024 to 826,457 tons in April 2025.

Total cement dispatches in April 2025 amounted to 3.342 million tons, up 13.24% from the 2.951 million tons dispatched during the same period in the previous fiscal year.

Regional Performance

In April 2025, cement mills in the northern region dispatched 2.239 million tons, a 7.22% increase from the 2.088 million tons dispatched in April 2024. Southern mills dispatched 1.10 million tons in April 2025, marking a 27.81% increase compared to the 863,327 tons dispatched in April 2024.

North-based cement mills dispatched 2.124 million tons in domestic markets in April 2025, a 9.39% increase from the 1.942 million tons dispatched in April 2024. Conversely, south-based mills dispatched 391,445 tons in local markets during April 2025, a 0.95% decrease compared to the 395,199 tons dispatched in April 2024.

Exports from northern mills decreased by 21.64%, with quantities falling from 146,086 tons in April 2024 to 114,467 tons in April 2025. However, exports from the south increased by 52.09% to 711,990 tons in April 2025 from 468,128 tons during the same month last year.

Year-to-Date Analysis

During the first ten months of the current fiscal year, total cement dispatches (domestic and exports) reached 37.336 million tons, a slight decrease of 0.32% compared to the 37.454 million tons dispatched during the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.

Domestic dispatches during this period totaled 29.978 million tons, down 5.55% from the 31.740 million tons during the same period last year. Export dispatches, however, increased by 28.77%, with volumes rising to 7.359 million tons during the first ten months of the current fiscal year, compared to 5.714 million tons in exports during the same period last year.

North-based mills dispatched 24.915 million tons of cement domestically during the first ten months of the current fiscal year, a 4.82% decrease from the 26.178 million tons dispatched during July 2023-April 2024.

Exports from the North increased by 4.13% to 1.234 million tons during July 2024-April 2025, compared with 1.185 million tons exported during the same period last year. Total dispatches by North-based mills decreased by 4.44% to 26.150 million tons during the first ten months of the current financial year, from 27.364 million tons during the same period of the last financial year.

Domestic dispatches by South-based mills during July 2024-April 2025 were 5.062 million tons, an 8.98% decrease over the 5.562 million tons dispatched during the same period of the previous fiscal year.

Exports from the South increased by 35.22% to 6.124 million tons during July 2024-April 2025, compared with 4.529 million tons exported during the same period last year. Total dispatches by South-based mills increased by 10.86% to 11.186 million tons during the first ten months of the current financial year, from 10.091 million tons during the same period of the last financial year.