The Portland Cement Association (PCA) predicts that U.S. cement consumption will continue its growth trend in 2015 and cement and clinker imports will grow rapidly in 2017 and beyond.
During the 2015 PCA Spring Meeting, PCA Chief Economist and Group Vice-President Edward J. Sullivan projected that total cement consumption would increase by 7.5 percent from last year, and continue to grow in 2016 by 7.9 percent. “The forecast indicates that the healing in the U.S. economy has taken place,” said Sullivan. “Industry projections continue to be in line with generally improving economic construction fundamentals.”
Sustained strength in job creation, coupled with a gradual shift in the mix of jobs toward higher skill and more significant wage pressures suggest added strength to consumer spending. Consumer balance sheets have endured a healing period, and with improvement in the labor markets consumers will be more able to spend than they have been able to in quite some time.
Sullivan forecasts that cement and clinker imports would increase to 36.6 percent in 2017, up 24 percentage points from the previous year. The rapid growth is projected to continue at an even higher rate in 2018.
Headquartered in Skokie, Illinois, with offices in Washington, DC, PCA represents America’s cement manufacturers, serving as a powerful and vocal advocate for sustainability, jobs creation, economic growth, sound infrastructure investment and overall innovation and excellence in construction throughout the U.S.
(847) 966-6200
