Nearly 105 million mt of portland cement and more than 4.4 million mt of masonry cement were consumed in the United States in 1999, according to data provided by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Portland Cement Association (PCA). These record-breaking figures represent 5.7% and 11.5% jumps over 1998 totals, respectively. All nine census districts and 41 states recorded increases in 1999. The Pacific district's 11.4% increase, led by California's 13.9% jump, was the largest of the nine districts. Masonry cement consumption was biased upward by the inclusion of previously omitted plastic cement in the totals of several western states.

The PCA also reported that in 1999 Canada consumed almost 7.8 million mt of portland cement (up 5.2% from 1998 numbers) and 213,592 mt of masonry cement (up 5.3%). The bad news is that due to an increasing amount of imports from Southeast Asia (in particular Thailand), imports of cement and clinker from Canada into the United States are dropping off to just over 5 million mt. Meanwhile, Thailand, which imported no cement or clinker into the United States in 1997, is seeing exporting to the United States at levels equal to Canada.

Overall, importing into the United States has risen from about 22 million mt in 1998 to approximately 28 million mt in 1999, a jump of 26.1%. In recent months, however, the surge in imports has slowed, according to the PCA. Through November 1999, the largest increases in imports have come from ports in Florida, the Gulf Coast, and in California.

PCA is currently projecting portland cement consumption of 110.3 million mt in 2000.