US and Puerto Rican markets contract 13% in June

Shipments of Portland and blended cement in the USA and Puerto Rico, including imports, declined by 13.2 per cent to 9.34Mt in June 2024 when compared with June 2023, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The leading cement markets for Portland and blended cement were Texas, California, Florida, Ohio and Georgia, which accounted for a total share of 37.9 per cent of shipments. The key producing states were Missouri, Texas, California, Florida and Alabama.

Masonry cement shipments dropped 17.2 per cent YoY to 180,000t in June 2024.

Clinker production in the US totalled 6.41Mt in June 2024, a 1.3 per cent increase when compared with the 6.33Mt produced in June 2023. Missouri, Texas, California, Florida and Alabama were the country’s top clinker-producing states.

Cement and clinker imports into the US and Puerto Rico contracted by 12 per cent to 2.36Mt when compared with June 2023.

January-June 2024
Portland and blended cement shipments in the first half of 2024 saw a 5.5 per cent decrease YoY to 49.5Mt. Of total blended volumes during this period, 26.5Mt or 97 per cent was estimated to be Portland limestone cement (Type IL) with Texas as leading destination for this type of cement.

Approximately 1.12Mt of masonry cement was shipped in the USA and Puerto Rico in the 1H24, down 8.1 per cent YoY. Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, California and Tennessee, the six leading markets, accounted for 60.4 per cent of June shipments.

Clinker output in the January-June 2024 period fell six per cent YoY to 33.6Mt.

Meanwhile, clinker imports for the 1H14 slipped 4.2 per cent YoY to 12.6Mt when compared to the year-ago period.