Displaying items by tag: Pakistan

Pakistan: Fecto Cement has resumed full operations at its Sangjani cement plant in Islamabad following a ruling by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that deemed the previous suspension of activities ‘illegal and without lawful authority.’ The company confirmed the development in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange, stating that full plant operations had resumed, and that production has recommenced as normal. Fecto Cement said that the suspension ‘had no material adverse effect’ on its long-term financial position or operations.

Pakistan: Fecto Cement has temporarily suspended operations at its 1Mt/yr cement plant in Sangjani, Islamabad. According to the company, the plant is its primary manufacturing facility and serves northern Pakistan and export markets in Afghanistan. The suspension is reportedly due to administrative issues and ‘procedural matters with local authorities.’

The company did not provide an estimate for when it expects production to resume, but said that it ‘does not foresee any long-term adverse impact’ on its financial position.

Pakistan: Lucky Cement has announced a strategic partnership with Portuguese technology provider Ultimate Technology to Industrial Savings (UTIS) to deploy its patented UC3® combustion optimisation technology. The agreement aims to improve operational efficiency and support decarbonisation.

The company says that implementation of its UC3® technology has already delivered several benefits for Lucky Cement, including improved kiln performance and productivity, reduced CO₂ emissions, lower specific heat consumption, and a more sustainable and cost-effective fuel mix.

Pakistan: Since the closure of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border on 11 October 2025, Afghan coal imports and cement exports have been halted, raising prices and prompting northern cement producers to shift to coal imports from South Africa, Indonesia and Mozambique. The move follows rising tensions between the two countries, with the cement sector among the most affected.

A manufacturer said Afghan coal is no longer available and ruled out using Iran as an alternative route due to the lack of banking channels and the impracticality of transporting coal. It said Afghanistan accounts for about 7% of Pakistan’s cement exports. Topline Securities reported that DG Khan Cement will continue using imported coal, while some producers have begun importing RB2 grade.

Insight Research has reported that Cherat Cement, Fauji Cement and Maple Leaf Cement are among the most exposed, with Afghan exports accounting for 9.8%, 5.8% and 3.1% of their sales, respectively.

Pakistan: Cement export earnings rose to US$42.6m in October 2025, the highest monthly level in 11 years, according to brokerage firm Topline Securities. The rise reflects renewed export momentum attributed to supply-side disruption from European exporting markets. Export despatches fell by 23% year-on-year to 827,000t from 1.08Mt in October 2024, while total cement despatches rose by 6% to 4.75Mt and local dispatches rose by 15% to 3.93Mt, according to data from the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA). This was reportedly driven by strong domestic demand despite the continued drop in export volumes.

Pakistan: Maple Leaf Cement has announced a potential acquisition of Pioneer Cement, which, if realised, would elevate it to being the second-largest cement producer in the north of Pakistan, raising its capacity from 8Mt/yr to 13Mt/yr.

Maple Leaf Cement and its subsidiary Maple Leaf Capital jointly hold an 18.6% stake in Pioneer Cement, while Habibullah Group owns ~58%. The remaining 23.4% is owned by small private investors.

Pakistan: Pioneer Cement has appointed Ch Tasneem Anwar as Deputy General Manager (Production). He has worked in production roles at the cement producer since 2017. Prior to this was the Section Head (Production) at City Cement in Saudi Arabia. He launched his career working for Pioneer Cement in 2006. Anwar holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology in Lahore.

Pakistan: Local cement despatches rose by 15% year-on-year to 3.93Mt in October 2025, up from 3.41Mt in October 2024, according to the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA). Exports fell by 23% from 1.1Mt to 0.83Mt, bringing total despatches to 4.75Mt, an increase of 6% year-on-year. In the first four months of the 2026 financial year, total despatches reached 17.3Mt, up by 15% from 15Mt a year earlier. Domestic sales rose by 18% to 13.9Mt, while exports increased by 6% year-on-year from 3.22Mt to 3.42Mt.

An APCMA spokesman said “The decline in exports over the past two months is a matter of concern. If this trend continues, it may dent our hopes of a full cement sector revival.”

Pakistan: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has approved the acquisition of Denmark-based FLSmidth’s global cement business by Pacific Avenue Capital Partners Management Company subsidiary ApS as it affects the Pakistani market. Local press has reported that the parties concluded a global share purchase agreement earlier in 2025.

FLSmidth subsidiary FLSmidth (Private) holds a non-dominant share across various cement technologies and services market sub-segments in Pakistan, while ApS has no current operational presence. The CCP’s Phase 1 investigation concluded that the transaction does not result in horizontal or vertical overlaps, raise competition concerns, create entry barriers or enhance the market power of FLSmidth (Private).

Pakistan: Flying Cement reported a profit after tax of US$2.27m for the year ending 30 June 2025, a sharp rise from US$0.18m in the 2024 financial year. Net sales more than doubled to US$39.8m, supported by strong volume growth and favourable market conditions. Gross profit increased to US$6m, while operating profit rose to US$4.2m from US$0.65m the previous year.