Pakistan’s cement sector started 2026 on a positive note as total cement dispatches increased by 12.54 percent in January compared to the same month last year. The rise was mainly supported by a strong increase in exports, according to data issued by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA).
Overall cement dispatches reached 4.538 million tonnes in January, up from 4.032 million tonnes recorded in January last year. Domestic demand improved slightly, but the major contribution came from exports, showing that the industry is increasingly depending on international markets while local construction activity remains inconsistent.
Sales within the country rose by 4.36 percent, reaching 3.601 million tonnes compared to 3.45 million tonnes during the same period last year. Export shipments showed a significant jump of 61.1 percent, rising to 937,097 tonnes from 581,691 tonnes in January 2025.
Regionally, mills located in the northern areas dispatched 2.95 million tonnes, reflecting a 4.67 percent increase from 2.818 million tonnes last year. Mills in the southern region recorded stronger growth, with total dispatches climbing 30.82 percent to 1.59 million tonnes, mainly due to higher export volumes.
In domestic markets, northern mills showed better performance with local dispatches increasing by 6.93 percent to 2.95 million tonnes. On the other hand, domestic sales by southern mills dropped by 5.87 percent to 651,089 tonnes, indicating weaker local demand in that region.
There were no export shipments from northern mills during January. All export consignments came from the southern region, where volumes increased by 79.41 percent to 937,097 tonnes, compared to 522,336 tonnes in the same month last year.
The performance in January reflects the continued improvement seen during the current fiscal year. From July to January in FY2026, total cement dispatches reached 30.583 million tonnes, marking a 10.58 percent increase from 27.656 million tonnes recorded in the same period last year.
Domestic dispatches during these seven months rose by 12.36 percent to 25.015 million tonnes, compared to 22.264 million tonnes, suggesting a gradual recovery in local consumption. Export dispatches recorded a smaller rise of 3.26 percent, reaching 5.568 million tonnes from 5.392 million tonnes a year earlier.
Northern mills continued to dominate the local market, dispatching 20.895 million tonnes, which was 13.67 percent higher than last year. However, their exports declined by 23.13 percent to 808,506 tonnes from 1.052 million tonnes. Despite the drop in exports, total dispatches from the northern region still increased by 11.68 percent to 21.704 million tonnes.
Mills in the southern region showed steady growth, with domestic dispatches rising by 6.12 percent to 4.12 million tonnes. Their exports also increased by 9.66 percent to 4.759 million tonnes. As a result, total dispatches from the southern region reached 8.879 million tonnes, reflecting an overall growth of 7.99 percent during the period.