US and Puerto Rican markets contract 8% in September

Total cement shipments of Portland and blended cement in the USA and Puerto Rico fell 7.7 per cent to 9.5Mt in September 2023 when compared with the year-ago period, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Of the total blended volume 5.3Mt, or 98 per cent, was estimated to be Portland limestone cement (PLC). The leading cement-consuming states – Texas, California, Florida, Ohio and Georgia – accounted for 37.2 per cent of total shipments. The leading producing states for Portland and blended cement in September 2023 were Texas, Missouri, California, Florida and Alabama.

Masonry cement shipments totalled 188,000t in September 2023, representing a decrease of 12 per cent YoY. The largest masonry cement markets were Florida, Texas, North Carolina, California, Tennessee and Georgia, which accounted for a combined 60 per cent of masonry cement shipments in September.

Clinker production, excluding Puerto Rico, slipped 2.7 per cent YoY to 6.8Mt in September 2023. Texas, Missouri, California, Florida and Alabama were the leading clinker-producing states.

Cement and clinker imports into the USA and Puerto Rico saw a 10.2 per cent drop YoY to 2.3Mt in September 2023.


January-September 2023
Shipments of Portland and blended cement in the first nine months of 2023 were down 2.6 per cent YoY to 80.7Mt. Masonry cement shipments in the January-September 2023 period declined by 5.3 per cent YoY to 1.8Mt.

Clinker production during the 9M23 saw a 3.8 per cent fall YoY to 56.3Mt.

In the 9M23 imports totalled 20.7Mt, up 3.1 per cent when compared with the 9M22.