LAHORE: Domestic cement intake showed signs of recovery in January 2025 after several sluggish months, with local deliveries rising to 3.313 million tonnes compared to 2.967 million tonnes in January 2024, reflecting an 11.64 per cent year-on-year increase.

Export dispatches also witnessed a sharp rise of 30.25 per cent, with volumes growing from 446,595 tonnes in January 2024 to 581,691 tonnes in January 2025. As a result, total cement dispatches for January 2025 reached 3.894 million tonnes, up 14.08 per cent from 3.414 million tonnes in the same month of the previous fiscal year.

According to data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA), North-based cement mills dispatched 2.728 million tonnes in January 2025, marking a 12.08 per cent increase from 2.434 million tonnes in January 2024. South-based mills also posted growth, dispatching 1.166 million tonnes — an increase of 19.04 per cent compared to 0.98 million tonnes in the same period last year.

In domestic markets, North-based mills delivered 2.669 million tonnes, up 11.89 per cent from 2.385 million tonnes in January 2024. South-based mills dispatched 644,173 tonnes locally, representing a 10.63 per cent rise from 582,258 tonnes in the previous year.

On the export front, dispatches from North-based mills rose by 21.42 per cent, increasing from 48,883 tonnes in January 2024 to 59,355 tonnes in January 2025. Exports from South-based mills surged 31.34 per cent to 522,336 tonnes, up from 397,712 tonnes in the same month last year.

During the first seven months of the current fiscal year, total cement dispatches (domestic and exports) stood at 26.827 million tonnes, down 1.71 per cent from 27.295 million tons in the same period of the previous fiscal year. Domestic dispatches fell 7.59 per cent to 21.435 million tonnes from 23.196 million tonnes last year. However, this decline was partially offset by a strong performance in exports, which grew 31.54 per cent to 5.392 million tonnes, compared to 4.099 million tonnes in the corresponding period last year.

North-based mills dispatched 17.854 million tonnes domestically during July-January FY2025, a 6.8 per cent decrease from 19.157 million tonnes in the same period of FY2024. However, exports from the North rose by 28.37 per cent, reaching 1.051 million tonnes, compared to 819,353 tonnes last year. Total dispatches from North-based mills declined 5.36 per cent to 18.905 million tonnes from 19.976 million tonnes year-on-year.

In contrast, South-based mills saw domestic dispatches fall 11.32 per cent to 3.582 million tonnes during July-January FY2025, down from 4.039 million tonnes in the same period last year. Nevertheless, exports surged by 32.33 per cent to 4.340 million tonnes, compared to 3.280 million tonnes in the previous fiscal year. Total dispatches from South-based mills grew 8.24 per cent to 7.922 million tonnes from 7.319 million tonnes during the same period last year.

An APCMA spokesperson expressed ongoing concerns regarding the industry’s tax and duty structure, which continues to hinder domestic demand. “Cement is an essential commodity, not a luxury item. The government should rationalize its tax structure to reduce costs for end consumers. This would help boost construction activities and generate employment in the sector,” the spokesperson said.