US cement market grows 2.8% in August

Cement shipments in the USA were up 2.8 per cent in August 2013 when compared with August 2013, according to preliminary data from the US Geological Survey (USGS). While southern Texas, Georgia and Florida all noted double-digit increases of 27, 24 and 11 per cent, respectively, dispatches in southern California and Arizona fell by one and eight per cent, respectively.

Across the country, August 2014 was significantly wetter and cooler than the year-ago equivalent with rainfall particularly high in the Mountain states.

Dispatches for the 8M14 increased 6.9 per cent YoY with the markets particularly strong in Georgia (+24 per cent), Florida (+21 per cent), Texas (+12 per cent), northern California (+9 per cent), Michigan (+8 per cent) and southern California (+7 per cent). However, the Arizona market contracted by four per cent.