Local cement sales see 4.8% decline in December 2024

Local sales of the cement industry dropped 4.76% to 3.370 million tons in December 2024 as compared to 3.539 million tons in the corresponding month of previous year.

Cement dispatches in December 2024 showed an overall increase, with total dispatches reaching 4.154 million tons, reflecting a 2.23 percent rise compared to December 2023. However, there were differing trends between the North and South-based cement mills.

North-based mills despatched 2.9 million tons of cement in December 2024, marking a decrease of 3.71 percent compared to 3.012 million tons in December 2023. Domestic despatches from the North also fell by 5.11 percent, from 2.936 million tons to 2.786 million tons. 

On the other hand, exports from North-based mills saw a significant increase of 50.18 percent, reaching 114089 tons compared to 75967 tons in December 2023. In contrast, South-based mills experienced a 19.25 percent increase in total dispatches, reaching 1.254 million tons in December 2024. 

Domestic despatches from the South dropped slightly by 3.04 percent, from 603010 tons to 584684 tons. However, exports from South-based mills rose by 49.20 percent, increasing from 448689 tons to 669461 tons in December 2024.

Looking at the performance over the first six months of the current fiscal year, total cement despatches amounted to 22.933 million tons, a 3.97 percent decrease compared to the same period last year. Domestic despatches fell by 10.41 percent, while exports increased by 31.69 percent, reaching 4.810 million tons.

Regionally, North-based mills experienced a 9.46 percent reduction in domestic despatchers, while exports from the North grew by 28.81 percent. South-based mills saw a 15.02 percent drop in domestic dispatches, but exports rose by 32.47 percent. Overall, total dispatches from the South region increased by 6.57 percent.