US cement shipments up 26% YoY in February

Preliminary data from the US Geological Survey shows that Portland and blended cement shipments in February 2016 amounted to 6.0Mt, including 630,000t of imports. These figures are both up on February 2015, with overall shipments being 26 per cent higher and imports 29 per cent higher.

Shipment volumes for February 2016 were well above the 4.5Mt average over the previous five years (2011-15), being 34 per cent higher. Clinker production was 5.1Mt, 13 per cent higher than in February 2015.

Strong demand from Florida and northern Texas, where shipments increased by 29.9 and 25.9 per cent respectively, contributed most to February’s YoY gains. Taken together, additional consumption from these two regions accounted for 240,000t – 19 per cent – of the YoY rise.

Other regions showed even faster growth, but from a lower base. Delaware, Connecticut, metropolitan New York and Massachusetts each saw shipments more than double over February 2015 levels, although absolute figures were small.

At the opposite end of the scale, North Dakota saw shipments fall by 58 per cent.