US and Puerto Rico Portland and blended cement shipments down 6% in March

Total shipments of Portland and blended cements, including imports, in the USA and Puerto Rico declined by six per cent YoY to 8.7Mt in March 2023, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).  Of the total blended volume reported, 3.2Mt, or 96 per cent, was estimated to be Portland limestone cement (Type IL). The leading consuming states were Texas, Florida, California, Georgia, and Arizona, which accounted for 42.5 per cent of the total market. The leading producing states were Texas, Missouri, Florida, California and Alabama.

In terms of masonry cement, shipments remained unchanged from March 2022, at 226,000t.  The leading consuming states – Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee – accounted for 62.6 per cent of shipments in March 2023.

US clinker production saw a 7.8 per cent drop to 5.5Mt in March 2023 when compared with March 2022. The leading clinker producing states were Texas, California, Florida, Alabama and Missouri.

Cement and clinker imports into the USA and Puerto Rico remained stable at 2Mt in March 2023 when compared with March 2022.

January-March 2023
In the January-March 2023 period Portland and blended cement shipments in the US and Puerto Rico (including imports) slipped 2.7 per cent YoY to 22.1Mt. Masonry cement shipments in the first quarter of 2023 totalled 591,000t, up 4.6 per cent YoY.

Clinker output declined 3.7 per cent YoY to 15.9Mt in the 1Q23 while clinker imports advanced by 10.3 per cent YoY to 5.8Mt.