Cement Manufacturing in the U.S.
The cement industry is a
relatively small but significant component of
the U.S. economy. In the United States, 39 companies
operate 115 cement plants in 36 states. U.S. cement
production is rather widely distributed. The largest
company produces approximately 13% of the industry
total, and the top five companies collectively
produce around 56%. Worldwide, the United States
ranks third in cement production, behind China—the
world's leading producer—and India.
Cement's fate,
like that of most of the other building materials,
is closely tied to that of the construction industry.
Cement consumption is
spurred by strong performance in the construction
industry as a whole; however, individual sector
growth, such as highway construction, affects
cement consumption more heavily.
The gap between domestic production
and consumption was filled in 2005 by more than
33.7 million metric tons of imported cement and
cement clinker. About 56% of cement and clinker
imported in 2005 came from four major countries:
China, Canada, Thailand, and Greece.
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