KARACHI: The cement sector posted a growth of 4.19% in sales during November 2020 compared to the same month last year.
This was the lowest monthly growth in current fiscal year after a double-digit rise in September and October 2020.
According to the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA), total cement dispatches during November 2020 were recorded at 4.51 million tons, an increase of 4.19% against 4.33 million tons in November 2019. However, the sales were lower when compared with 5.74 million tons sold in October 2020.
The domestic off-take of cement in November 2020 rose 6.29% to 3.74 million tons compared to 3.52 million tons in November 2019. Exports registered a reduction of 4.99% to 766,273 tons against 806,521 tons last year. This is for the first time in the current fiscal year when exports have decreased as they had been rising since July 2020.
In the northern region, domestic cement sales rose 4.79% to 3.13 million tons during November 2020 compared to 2.99 million tons in November 2019.
Exports from the north decreased 30.81% and amounted to 0.18 million tons in November 2020 compared to 0.26 million tons in the same month of previous year.
In the southern region, domestic cement dispatches climbed 14.66% to 613,113 tons. Sales in the region had stood at 534,720 tons in November 2019, according to industry data.
Exports from the south came in at 584,182 tons during the month under review, up 7.51% compared to 543,361 tons in November 2019.
