PCA’s Sullivan details oil price variables hampering firm cement consumption outlook

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Source: Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill.; CP staff

At a briefing timed with the opening of World of Concrete 2016 in Las Vegas, Portland Cement Association Chief Economist Ed Sullivan offered critical energy and housing market footnotes to his latest U.S. cement consumption forecast. Released in November, it projects year-over-year gains of 5 percent, at best, in 2016, and 5.7 percent for 2017. At those levels, U.S. portland and masonry cement shipments will climb from 92 million metric tons (mt) in 2015 to 96.4 million mt and 102 million mt this year and next.

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