Karachi: The sales for the cement sector during first four months of the current fiscal year went up by 5.37% to reach 15.353 million tonnes, according to the latest data released by All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA).
The sales growth has been attributed to exports, which increased by 39%. The local demand has also increased by about 0.82%. While sales have grown, profitability has seen a decline because of increase in input costs. According to APCMA spokesperson, manufacturers’ profitability dropped by 42 % during the first quarter.
On a monthly basis, exports grew by 38.87%, and domestic consumption increased by 3.76%. During the month of October, total cement despatches grew by 7.45% reaching 4.536 million tonnes of which 3.921 million tonnes were consumed domestically and 0.615 million tonnes were exported.
