Pakistan cement dispatches fall 21% in May as domestic sales, exports weaken

Pakistan's cement dispatches fell sharply in May, as both domestic sales and exports declined compared with the same month a year earlier.

Total cement dispatches stood at 3.837 million tons in May 2026, down 21.02% from 4.858 million tons dispatched in May 2025, according to data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA).

Local cement dispatches fell 17.17% to 3.205 million tons from 3.869 million tons a year earlier. Export dispatches declined 36.06% to 632,648 tons from 989,434 tons in May 2025.

North-based cement mills dispatched 2.657 million tons in May, a decline of 22% from 3.407 million tons in the same month last year. South-based mills dispatched 1.180 million tons, down 18.7% from 1.452 million tons.

Domestic dispatches by North-based mills fell 16.05% to 2.657 million tons in May from 3.165 million tons a year earlier. South-based mills dispatched 547,528 tons in local markets, down 22.21% from 703,827 tons in May 2025.

There were no exports from North-based mills during the month. Exports from South-based mills declined 15.41% to 632,648 tons from 747,856 tons in the same month last year.

Despite the monthly decline, total cement dispatches during the first 11 months of fiscal year 2025-26 reached 46.26 million tons, up 6.44% from 43.46 million tons in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.

Domestic dispatches during July 2025-May 2026 increased 8.26% to 38.01 million tons from 35.11 million tons a year earlier. Export dispatches, however, slipped 1.21% to 8.24 million tons from 8.34 million tons.

North-based mills dispatched 31.689 million tons in domestic markets during the first 11 months of the fiscal year, up 9.49% from 28.943 million tons in the same period a year earlier. Exports from the region fell 45.98% to 797,431 tons from 1.476 million tons. Total dispatches by North-based mills rose 6.8% to 32.487 million tons from 30.419 million tons.

South-based mills dispatched 6.323 million tons in domestic markets during the period, up 2.47% from 6.170 million tons a year earlier. Exports increased 8.41% to 7.447 million tons from 6.869 million tons. Total dispatches by South-based mills rose 5.6% to 13.770 million tons from 13.039 million tons.

An APCMA spokesman welcomed Pakistan's efforts to help ease geopolitical tensions and promote peace in the Middle East. He also expressed optimism about the upcoming federal budget, saying the industry expects policies that support local manufacturing and address operational bottlenecks.