US monthly shipments rise 17.5 per cent YoY

Total shipments of Portland and blended cement in the US and Puerto Rico for April 2012 were almost 6.7Mt, 17.5 per cent higher than shipments in April 2011, data from the US Geological Survey (USGS) shows.

Shipments for the year through April were 21.9Mt, up by about 19%. The leading producing states in April were Texas, Missouri, California, Florida, and Pennsylvania, in descending order and accounted for 43% of total output. The leading consuming States (Texas, California, Florida, Ohio, and Illinois, in descending order) received about 37% of the April total shipments.

Clinker production totaled 5.4 Mt in April, about 6% higher than output in April 2011. Production for the year through April was 19.1Mt, up by almost 13%. The leading clinker-producing states in April were Texas, California, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Florida, in descending order, and these accounted for almost 48% of the US total production.

April 2012 imports of cement and clinker of about 585,000t were 4% higher than those in April 2011. Imports for the year through April were 1.68Mt, up by 10%.