Inman News:
An association of cement companies in the United States and Canada estimates that cement consumption should increase 3 percent tin 2005 to a new record of 123.4 million metric tons.That translates to about 112 million tons, or about 272.05 billion pounds. Another way to look at it — that’s the equivalent of 921.7 pounds of cement for every person in the United States.Which begs the question: what would you do with 921.7 pounds of cement?”Even in the context of rising interest rates, sustained high oil prices, an oversized federal budget and trade deficit, and continued upward pressure on commodity prices, the general economic picture is expected to result in sustained growth in overall U.S. construction,” according to the forecast by the Portland Cement Association.–Glenn Roberts Jr., Inman News

I mentioned this a few months ago in the context that global issues can dramatically affect the local market.