Cement despatches fall 21% in May

June 03, 2026 (MLN): Cement despatches fell sharply in May 2026, with total volumes dropping 21.02% year-on-year to 3.837 million tons (mt)  from 4.858mt in the same month of the previous fiscal year.

Local despatches declined 17.17% to 3.205mt from 3.869mt in May 2025, while export despatches tumbled 36.06% to 632,648 tons from 989,434 tons over the same period, according to data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA), said a press release issued.

North-based mills recorded total despatches of 2.657mt, down 22.00% from 3.407mt in May 2025, with domestic volumes falling 16.05% to 2.657mt against 3.165mt a year earlier. There were no exports from northern mills during the month.

South-based mills despatched 1.180mt in total, a decline of 18.70% from 1.452mt in May 2025. Domestic despatches from the south fell 22.21% to 547,528 tons from 703,827 tons, while exports from southern mills declined 15.41% to 632,648 tons from 747,856 tons.

On a cumulative basis, total cement despatches during the first eleven months of the current fiscal year (July 2025 to May 2026) rose 6.44% to 46.26mt from 43.46mt in the corresponding period last year. Domestic despatches grew 8.26% to 38.01mt from 35.11mt, though export volumes slipped 1.21% to 8.24mt from 8.34mt.

North-based mills grew domestic despatches 9.49% to 31.689mt over the eleven-month period, while their exports collapsed 45.98% to 797,431 tons from 1.476mt. Total despatches by northern mills rose 6.80% to 32.487mt. South-based mills posted domestic despatches of 6.323mt, up 2.47%, with exports climbing 8.41% to 7.447mt, lifting total southern despatches 5.60% to 13.770mt.

An APCMA spokesman appreciated Pakistan's efforts to ease geo-political tensions and expressed optimism ahead of the federal budget, calling on the government to introduce supportive policies for the local industry and address operational bottlenecks.

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