LAHORE: Cement dispatches rose by 12.53 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in February 2026, driven largely by a sharp increase in exports, according to data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA).
Total dispatches stood at 4.199 million tonnes in February 2026, compared with 3.732 million tonnes in the same month last year.
Domestic dispatches increased by 8.35 per cent to 3.467 million tonnes, up from 3.2 million tonnes in February 2025. Export volumes surged 37.72 per cent to 732,333 tonnes, compared with 531,736 tonnes a year earlier.
North-based mills dispatched 2.856 million tonnes during the month, marking a 7.66 per cent increase from 2.653 million tonnes last year. South-based mills recorded a stronger performance, with dispatches rising 24.50% to 1.34 million tonnes from 1.079 million tonnes.
In the domestic market, North-based mills supplied 2.856 million tonnes, up 9.72 per cent from 2.603 million tonnes a year earlier. South-based mills dispatched 611,239 tonnes locally, a marginal 2.35 per cent increase from 597,177 tonnes.
There were no exports from North-based mills in February, while South-based exports jumped 51.95 per cent to 732,333 tonnes from 481,956 tonnes in the same month last year.
During the first eight months of the current fiscal year (July–February), total cement dispatches — domestic and export — rose 10.86 per cent to 34.798 million tonnes, compared with 31.388 million tonnes in the corresponding period last year.
Domestic dispatches during this period increased 11.93 per cent to 28.503 million tonnes, while exports grew 6.27 per cent to 6.295 million tonnes.
North-based mills dispatched 23.745 million tonnes domestically in July–February, up 13.15 per cent from 20.985 million tonnes a year earlier. However, exports from the North fell 27.07 per cent to 803,306 tonnes from 1.101 million tonnes. Overall dispatches from the region rose 11.15 per cent to 24.548 million tonnes.
South-based mills recorded domestic dispatches of 4.758 million tonnes during the eight-month period, up 6.21 per cent YoY. Exports from the South climbed 13.89 per cent to 5.491 million tonnes. Total dispatches from the region increased 10.19 per cent to 10.25 million tonnes.
An APCMA spokesperson urged the government to provide budgetary concessions to support demand and make cement more affordable. Such measures would help the industry utilise idle capacity and achieve economies of scale, he said.
