US shipments see annual gains

Total shipments of blended cement in the US and Puerto Rico in October 2013 were 8.7Mt, up eight per cent from October 2012, latest data from the USGS shows. Shipments for the year through October were 70.3Mt, up by about four per cent.

The leading Portland cement-producing states in October were Missouri, California, Texas, Michigan and Florida (in descending order), accounting for about 43 per cent of total shipments for the month. The leading consuming states (Texas, California, Florida, Ohio and Illinois, in descending order) received about 35 per cent of the total October shipments.

Clinker production totalled about 6.7Mt in October, up by about five per cent from the same month of the year before. Production for the year through October 2013 was 58.2Mt, up b three per cent. The leading clinker-producing states in October were California, Texas, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Florida, which accounted for 48 per cent of the October total.

Imports during October 2013 of both cement and clinker were 736,000t, about 16 per cent higher than October 2012. Imports during the first 10 months of last year totalled 6.05Mt, an increase of three per cent YoY.