Pakistan cement exports growing despite global recession: Steel Guru

Daily Times reported that despite global economic slow down around the world the local cement exports continued to exhibit growing trend, as the cement exports to Afghanistan jumped to 23% MoM in June 2009 as compared with April.

According to the latest cement exports break down released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association for the month of June 2009, exports to Afghanistan were up by 23% MoM and 54% YoY which can be put down to improving law and order situation in Afghanistan’s border adjoining areas of NWFP region.

However, the exports to India dropped 14% MoM and 28% YoY to the Middle East and African region remained flat on a MoM basis though were still up 34% YoY as planned capacities are yet to come online in the Middle East.

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Cement export exceeds three million tons: Brecorder

RIZWAN BHATTI
KARACHI (November 04 2008): Cement exports exceeded 3 million tons as 3.497 million tons cement was exported in July-October of the current fiscal year depicting 73 percent growth as compared to 2.025 million tons during the same period of last fiscal year. This was due to huge export orders from Middle East, industry sources said.They said that surged in cement export was due to high demand and its shortage in the region, especially in Dubai, Afghanistan and India, where construction activities are at peak. Following the rising demand for cement on international front, the industry is also rapidly growing and its production capacity has increased by about 50 percent to 37 million tons from 21 million tons.Cement exports in October 2008 also broke all previous records, as over one million tons cement was exported in a single month. However, due to poor economic situation in the country, local dispatches declined by 14 percent during the period under review. Local cement dispatches declined to 6.337 million tons during this period as compared to 7.456 million tons of last fiscal year. But overall cement dispatches increased by 3.71 percent to 9.834 million tons as compared to 9.482 million tons of last fiscal year.

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Private sector facilitated to export bulk cement: Dawn

KARACHI, July 9: The Karachi Port Trust, as part of its landlord port strategy, has facilitated the private sector to export bulk cement.

The bulk cement exporters would directly pump and load bulk cement in ships, according to KPT sources.

Thirty bulkers, having a maximum loading capacity of 6000 tons per day, commenced operations from Karachi Port. The port provides a platform to cement manufacturers to export cement to global markets in a cost-effective manner to meet the increasing demands world over.

Globally the export share of lose, and bulk cement is 85 per cent and is mainly exported to countries in Red Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Persian Gulf, South Africa and West Africa.

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100,000 tons of clinker exported to UAE: Dawn

By Parvaiz Ishfaq Rana
KARACHI, May 26: Pakistan has for the first time entered export market of clinker by exporting around 100,000 tons to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where construction boom has created a strong demand for cement.

The UAE had been importing cement from Pakistan and other sources, but surge in demand has compelled developers and builders to import clinker which could be converted into cement by further processing.

There is a strong demand for Pakistani cement in the Middle East, Africa, Far East and Indian market.

During the current month, around 340,000 tons of cement has, so far, been exported which is the highest in a single month. Around 30,000 tons was exported to India through sea and another around 58,000 tons by rail, official figures disclosed.

However, the biggest impediment in export of cement and clinker is a sudden surge in freight rates which have increased by more than three-fold.

A leading cement exporter Amjad Rafi told Dawn that up to April 15, freight for a 20 feet box to Jabal Ali port was $250, but on April 25 it jumped to $800 per container, leaving exporters in a quandary.

This means, he said, when freight charges were $250 per container of 25 tons capacity, freight charges used to be around $10 per ton but after the increase the per ton freight charges have gone up to $32 whereas the average quoted price of cement to the UAE is $70 per ton f.o.b. Karachi.

He further stated that in the past cement exporters used to book shipments even a month earlier but ever since freight charges are being frequently increased exporters enter into export contracts only week prior to shipping schedule to avoid extra freight cost in case there was any change.

Amjad Rafi said frequent changes in freight charges had forced us to turn down many export inquiries.

On an average, he said, roughly 150,000 to 200,000 tons of export inquiries were being received per month but mostly they were refused owing to highly volatile freight charges.

An official of a leading cement manufacturing group, requesting anonymity, said that since last year we had an exportable surplus of cement and by chance for the first time India also ran into shortage which gave our country a golden opportunity to meet their demand and also improve our balance of trade which had always been in their favour in the ratio of 70:30.

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Cement from Pakistan on its way: Times of Oman

Essa Al Masaudi Tuesday, May 20, 2008 12:51:17 AM Oman Time

MUSCAT — The first 17,500-tonne cement shipment from Pakistan will arrive here in the first week of June as announced recently by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The shipment is aimed at meeting the increased demand for cement in the local market. Oman Cement Company, in coordination with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, will distribute the shipment among dealers across the Sultanate.

Sayyid Qahtan bin Yaroub Al Busaidi, chairman of Oman Cement Company, said the OCC and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry had agreed on a mechanism for distribution of cement.

The consignment will be given to the approved distributors included in the previous list and to the new distributors as well.

All the wilayats will have their share with the exception of Dhofar governorate and Al Wusta region.

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