US market sees modest contraction

Total shipments of Portland and blended cement, including imports, in the USA and Puerto Rico reached 9.6Mta, down 2.3 per cent YoY, in July 2021, according to the US Geological Survey. The leading markets wereTexas, California, Florida, Ohio and Illinois, with their offtake accounting for 37 per cent of July shipments. Leading producers were Missouri, Texas, California, Florida and Michigan. Combined they produced 39 per cent of total cement output in the US. Masonry cement shipments declined 10 per cent YoY in July 2021 to 202,000t.

Clinker output in the USA (excluding Puerto Rico) slipped to 6.8Mt in July 2021. Leading clinker-producing states were Texas, Missouri, California, Florida and Alabama.

Cement and clinker imports totalled 2.1Mt in July 2021, up 52 per cent YoY.

January-July 2021
Portland and blended cement shipments for the first seven months of 2021 totalled 60Mt, up 3.9 per cent when compared with the equivalent period of 2020. The masonry cement market remained stable in the 7M21 with shipments at 1.4Mt. A total of 55 per cent of masonry cement shipments were delivered in the country’s key masonry cement-consuming states: Florida, Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina and Florida.

Clinker production in the January-July 2021 period totalled 43.6Mt, unchanged from the 7M20. Domestic cement and clinker production in the seven-month period was supplemented by imports of 13.1Mt, a 41 per cent advance when compared with the 7M20.