LAHORE: Cement dispatches declined 21 per cent in May 2026, with both domestic sales and exports recording significant decreases compared with the same month last year.
Total cement dispatches stood at 3.837 million tonnes in May 2026, compared with 4.858 million tonnes dispatched in the corresponding month of the previous fiscal year, reflecting a decline of 21.02 per cent.
According to data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA), domestic cement dispatches amounted to 3.205 million tonnes during the month, down 17.17 per cent from 3.869 million tonnes in May 2025.Export dispatches also fell sharply, declining 36.06 per cent to 632,648 tonnes from 989,434 tonnes a year earlier.
North-based cement mills dispatched 2.657 million tonnes in May 2026, down 22.00 per cent from 3.407 million tonnes in the same month last year. South-based mills dispatched 1.18 million tonnes, a decline of 18.7 per cent from 1.452 million tonnes.
In the domestic market, North-based mills dispatched 2.657 million tonnes, down 16.05 per cent from 3.165 million tonnes in May 2025. South-based mills dispatched 547,528 tonnes locally, a decrease of 22.21 per cent from 703,827 tonnes a year earlier.
There were no exports from North-based mills during May 2026. Exports from South-based mills declined 15.41 per cent to 632,648 tonnes from 747,856 tonnes in the same month last year.
Despite the decline in May, total cement dispatches during the first 11 months of FY26 reached 46.26 million tonnes, up 6.44 per cent from 43.46 million tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.
Domestic dispatches during the period increased 8.26 per cent to 38.01 million tonnes, compared with 35.11 million tonnes a year earlier. Export dispatches, however, declined 1.21 per cent to 8.24 million tonnes from 8.34 million tonnes.
North-based mills dispatched 31.689 million tonnes in the domestic market during the first 11 months of FY26, an increase of 9.49 per cent from 28.943 million tonnes during the same period last year.
Exports from North-based mills fell 45.98 per cent to 797,431 tonnes during July 2025-May 2026, compared with 1.476 million tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year. Total dispatches by North-based mills rose 6.8 per cent to 32.487 million tonnes from 30.419 million tonnes.
Meanwhile, domestic dispatches by South-based mills increased 2.47 per cent to 6.323 million tonnes during July 2025-May 2026, compared with 6.170 million tonnes in the same period last year.
Exports from South-based mills rose 8.41 per cent to 7.447 million tonnes from 6.869 million tonnes, while total dispatches increased 5.6 per cent to 13.77 million tonnes from 13.039 million tonnes.
An APCMA spokesperson welcomed Pakistan’s continued efforts to ease geopolitical tensions and promote peace in the Middle East. The spokesperson also expressed optimism about the upcoming federal budget and said the industry expected supportive policies to address operational bottlenecks and strengthen the local manufacturing sector.
