Displaying items by tag: despatches

Peru: National cement despatches rose by 6% year-on-year to 1.1Mt in July 2025 and by 2% over the past 12 months, according to the Asociación de Productores de Cemento (ASOCEM). Cement production grew by 6.5% year-on-year to 0.97Mt, while clinker output fell by 22% year-on-year to 0.69Mt. Cement exports rose by 28% year-on-year to 13,300t, and clinker exports fell by 12% compared to July 2024 to 32,600t. Cement imports dropped by 63% compared to the previous corresponding period to 8000t, while clinker imports grew by 81% to 85,000t.

Saudi Arabia: Cement sales by the country’s 17 producers rose by 21% year-on-year to 13.1Mt in the second quarter of 2025, according to Al Yamama Cement. Local demand grew by 23% and accounted for 97% of total despatches, while exports fell by 16% to account for 3% of sales.

Al Yamama Cement led the market with 1.93Mt of local sales, followed by Saudi Cement with 1.36Mt, Qassim Cement with 1.14Mt and Yanbu Cement with 1.00Mt. Saudi Cement topped exports with 376,000t sold, ahead of Najran Cement with 50,000t and Eastern Province Cement at 5000t. Cement expert and CEO at consultancy firm A³&Co Amr Nader said “East Africa and Yemen have seen rising local production, such as capacity expansions in Kenya and the reactivation of plants in Ethiopia, alongside aggressive pricing from Turkiye and Iran.”

Clinker production grew by 13% year-on-year to 14.8Mt, with Saudi Cement producing 2.15Mt. Clinker inventories rose by 3% from 2024 to 134Mt by the end of June 2025, led by Southern Province Cement with 20.2Mt. Clinker exports increased by 39% year-on-year to 1.63Mt. Key markets included Bangladesh, Kenya, Benin, Ghana and Yemen.

Argentina: Cement consumption reached 0.88Mt in July 2025, a 10% increase compared to June 2025, although it remained 3% lower than July 2024, according to data from the Asociación de Fabricantes de Cemento Portland (AFCP). Despatches totalled 0.89Mt, down by 3% year-on-year but up by 9% month-on-month.

Exports fell to 3502t in July 2025 from 5250t in June 2025, while imports increased to 312t from 147t the previous month. Accumulated consumption for the first seven months of 2025 stood at 5.66Mt, up by 10% from the same period in 2024. Despatches for the first seven months of 2025 reached 5.70Mt, marking a 10% increase year-on-year.

Pakistan: Cement despatches rose by 30% year-on-year to 3.99Mt in July 2025 from 3.07Mt in July 2024, according to data from the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA). Local sales grew by 18% to 2.98Mt during the period, while exports increased significantly, by 84%, to 1.01Mt from 0.54Mt previously.

An APCMA spokesperson said “The new fiscal year started on a positive note in spite of disturbing weather conditions in most parts of the country.” The APCMA expressed hope for continued momentum for the rest of 2025, supported by improved macroeconomic indicators.

Saudi Arabia: Domestic cement despatches rose by 13% year-on-year to 3.84Mt in June 2025, falling by 18% month-on-month due to seasonality impact, according to a report by Al Jazira Capital. Clinker inventories grew by 1% month-on-month to 45Mt.

Exports reached 0.71Mt, up by 17% year-on-year. Clinker production rose by 9% year-on-year to 4.9Mt, led by Yamama Cement, which increased its output by 28% or 0.15Mt, and Riyadh Cement, up by 93% or 0.17Mt. In the first half of 2025, domestic despatches rose by 14% to 25.7Mt, compared to 22.6Mt in the first half of 2024.

Pakistan: Local cement despatches are expected to fall by 28% month-on-month and 15% year-on-year to 2.63Mt in June 2025, primarily due to reduced working days over the Eid holidays. Daily average sales dropped to 88,000t from 118,000t in May 2025. Provisional data covering 22 days of the month showed 1.75Mt of cement sold, with full-month estimates at 2.5Mt, below the 11-month average of 3.06Mt.

Total sales for June 2025 are forecast at 3.54Mt, flat year-on-year but down 24% from May 2025. Sector capacity utilisation is projected at 52%, down from 68% in May 2025. For the 2024–25 fiscal year, total cement sales are expected to remain flat, with a 5% drop in local sales and a 30% rise in exports. Analysts anticipate recovery in the 2026 financial year, supported by improved macroeconomic conditions and lower interest rates.

Pakistan: The cement sector experienced a ‘substantial’ increase in earnings during the third quarter of fiscal year 2025 (from 1 January 2025 to 30 April 2025), according to a recent analysis of eight key producers. Collective earnings grew by a factor of 2.3 compared to the same period of the 2024 fiscal year (FY2024), primarily driven by an expansion in profit margins and dividend income from subsidiaries.

This came despite a comparatively modest 2% year-on-year increase in local cement dispatches, with the increased margin largely attributed to lower coal prices, alongside enhanced cost efficiencies and higher prices.

Looking forward, expectations are high for further margin gain. Rising cement prices, particularly in the north, are anticipated to support this trend. Additionally, continued low international coal prices are likely to benefit companies operating in the south.

Argentina: Cement despatches rose by 28% year-on-year to 844,000t in April 2025, compared to 661,319t in April 2024, according to data from the Asociación de Fabricantes de Cemento Portland (AFCP). Total despatches for the first four months of 2025 reached 3.18Mt, up by 15% year-on-year from 2.76Mt in the previous corresponding period.

Domestic consumption, including imports, rose by 28% year-on-year to 837,000t in April 2025, from 655,000t in April 2024. Total consumption increased by 15% to 3.14Mt for the first four months of 2025.

Pakistan: Cement despatches rose by 13% year-on-year to 3.34Mt in April 2025, driven by an 8% increase in domestic sales to 2.52Mt and a 35% rise in exports to 0.83Mt from 0.61Mt, according to All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) data. Total despatches in the first ten months of the current financial year declined by 0.3% year-on-year to 37.3Mt. Domestic sales dropped by 6% to just under 30Mt, while exports rose by 29% to 7.36Mt.

Argentina: Cement despatches in the first three months of 2025 reached 2.3Mt, up by 11% from the same period in 2024. In March 2025, despatches rose by 17% year-on-year and by 1% month-on-month from 0.63Mt and 0.73Mt respectively. The country exported 7791t of cement in March 2025, bringing the year-to-date total for exports to 24,971t. Argentina imported 61t in March 2025 and 618t so far in 2025.