US January shipments rise 5%

Total shipments of Portland and blended cement in the US and Puerto Rico for January 2013 were up by five per cent to 4.8Mt compared to the same month a year ago, latest data from the US Geological Survey shows.

The leading consuming states (Texas, California, Florida, Arizona and Oklahoma, in descending order) received about 46 per cent of the total January shipments.

The leading Portland cement-producing states in January were Texas, California, Florida, Missouri and Alabama (in descending order).

Clinker production, meanwhile, totaled 4.3Mt in January, slightly more than the output in January 2012. The leading clinker-producing states in January 2013, in descending order, were Texas, Missouri, California, South Carolina and Florida, with these states accounting for 56 per cent of the US total.

January 2013 imports of cement and clinker reached 464,000t in January 2013, some 25 per cent higher than the same month of the previous year.