Karachi: Pakistan's local cement dispatches are projected to grow by 2 percent year-on-year in September 2026, reaching 3.62 million tons. This forecast is based on dispatch data from the first 20 days of the month, which recorded local sales of 2.3 million tons. According to JS Global, the month-on-month increase is expected to be 10 percent, driven primarily by an 11 percent increase in the northern region, while the southern region is anticipated to see an 8 percent rise. This uptick follows a sales decline in the north during August due to the monsoon season.

The southern region's sales are expected to surge by 26 percent year-on-year, attributed to a low sales base in September 2025 when floods affected the area. Average daily domestic sales in the north ranged from 102,000 to 105,000 tons per day in the first two weeks of September 2026, rising to 110,000 tons per day in the third week. In the south, sales remained between 21,000 and 23,000 tons per day over 20 days. On the export front, dispatches are projected to rise by 6 percent year-on-year and 17 percent month-on-month, totaling 0.88 million tons. This would bring Pakistan's total cement dispatches to approximately 4.5 million tons in September 2026, marking a 3 percent year-on-year and 11 percent month-on-month increase.

For the first quarter of fiscal year 2027, total cement dispatches are expected to reach 13.02 million tons, a 3 percent year-on-year growth, with local dispatches increasing by 6 percent to 10.67 million tons. Cement capacity utilization is anticipated to be at 51 percent in September 2026, compared to 50 percent in the same month the previous year and 47 percent in August 2026. Retail cement prices have risen by 10 percent year-on-year, reaching Rs1,550 per bag in September 2026, primarily due to higher fuel and transportation costs, as per weekly data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. However, prices remained largely stable month-on-month. The domestic cement growth for fiscal year 2027 is forecasted to be 8 percent.